Being A Great Teammate.....What Would EJ Do?

World's Greatest Teammate

We have all had good teammates and we have all had bad teammates. However, even on the same team, different people will have different opinions of who is a good (or bad) teammate. That is because being a good teammate is really a one-on-one interaction. So what makes you a good teammate? And just as importantly, what can make you a bad one?

I have had the same golf partner almost all the time for the last 15 years. His name is Eric Johnson (EJ). I can't imagine anyone anywhere being a better teammate.  There are many reasons for this. Very few of them have anything to do with golf, and all of them translate right onto the basketball court or any other situation in life where you work with other people. If you want to be a great teammate, here is the blueprint:

1. Build trust. When you get a new teammate, you do not know what to expect. You cannot possibly have any trust that they will make the right play or throw the right pass.  You can't even be sure if you are going to like them or not. But over time, you can build a positive relationship with each teammate. Your shared experiences on and off the court will help you gain trust in each other. Eventually you reach the point that you know you can count on them even if something bad happens on the court or in life. Use this example; If your golf cart is sliding toward a ditch, does your teammate bail out or hang in there with you? Great teammates never bail. Anytime in the last 15 years that my golf cart was sliding toward a ditch EJ stayed in the cart with me. You owe teammates like that a debt you can never really repay. You can only settle for letting them know you are grateful.
2. Set an example of excellence. With every pair of teammates, one will be the better player. But from the best player on the team to the last guy on the bench, you all have a responsibility to make your teammates, and therefor your team, better. On the golf course, EJ is the far superior player.  EJ can't make me be as good a player as he is. What he can do is strive for excellence each time we play. I observe his good habits and try to take pieces of them to incorporate into my own game. You can do the same by observing your more talented teammates. The way they play the game is a model to you of what you need to do when your opportunities come. Conversely, the less talented teammate also has a responsibility.  There may not be anything I can show EJ that will improve his golf game, but by always being willing to work hard at my game, I show my teammate that what we do is important. On the basketball court I may play much less or play rarely, but if I am always working hard in practice, good teammates notice. We are creating an unspoken agreement that we will both try to be the best players we can possibly be.  Spread that same relationship to all of your teammates and you have a very positive culture that your entire team can buy into every day: "We can all work hard, we can all help the team excel."
3. Create positive energy. Success breeds success. You should be genuinely happy for your teammates when they have success. I may be proud when I hit a great drive, but I should still be happy when EJ hits his even farther. His success is good for the team, even if it hurts my pride. And when I do happen to hit a good shot, EJ knows that is good for the team as well. Great teammates don't care who gets it done, as long as it gets done. When things are going poorly, as they sometimes do, your positive energy is even more important. You can't drag down the team by pouting or being angry with yourself. Remember: IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU...it is about the team.  
   
   Can you find the guy who doesn't care about his teammates as much as he cares about himself?.......So can everyone else. Somebody in that game used to be on the bench supporting him. He should be doing the same.
4. Hold your teammates accountable. Once you have developed all of these good relationships with your teammates, you have earned the right to call them out when they are not working hard or up to the standards you have all set together. Players have to understand that everything they do is reflected onto the team. No one feels like working hard every minute, and everyone makes bad decisions, but when you are surrounded by teammates that care about you and are not afraid to hold you accountable, you are much more likely to stay out of negative situations and attitudes.

Having others think you are a great teammate doesn't happen over night.  It is a process that can only take place over time. Also, the ways that you can interact positively with your teammate is different for each person. The process will go faster and better if you keep those four rules in mind. If you also recognize and respect that your teammates are trying to do those same things for you, you will have a great team atmosphere very soon. When in doubt just ask yourself "What would EJ do?"