Team Player Gets Taken Advantage Of

[Dawnkeibals]

What is your advice on being a team player but not be taken advantage of? 

Do you think it's possible?

For example if you take one for the team a lot, some people will use that as an advantage and pile on.... once you say no, people will say you're not being a team player. I do not care so much what people think of me but when coworkers are gossiping and getting managers involved that is different. 

For example volunteering to float, willing to work the difficult patient load, offering to take an admission at the end of a shift etc. The same person cannot always be the one doing all these things right. When the time comes they finally start saying no all of the sudden they are no longer being a team player. 

How do you go about being a team player without getting taken advantage of? I do want to say I don't believe "stay in your lane" or you do your job I do my job is being a team player. 

[ponderingDNP]

Keep your resume updated with how you've gone above and beyond as a team player,  and keep those help-wanted ads open. Before you know it, your coworkers will be taking them ALL for the team. 

If they don't value your presence, allow them to appreciate your absence. If there is no impartial manager, it's next to impossible to change the culture of a cohesive unit. 

[JKL33]

Dawnkeibals said:

For example volunteering to float, willing to work the difficult patient load, offering to take an admission at the end of a shift etc. The same person cannot always be the one doing all these things right.

Many things like this actually have a more objective way they could be solved than just having the resident "team player" pick up slack. For example, if it's known that there is a difficult patient load, that's already a failure to have evened it out as assignments were made. Volunteering to float? Unnecessary if there's a rotation in place.

There's a lot going on in situations like the one you describe, not the least of which is that (IMVHO) "team players"--those who go well out of their way to be team players--have a bit of a problem going on. They often have other motives for what they do and are looking to fill various needs of their own (usually self-esteem related). So it's a disaster for them in more ways than one when they finally wear themselves out trying to gain everyone's approval and have to say no.

If you are the team player in this situation I would encourage you to do some introspection to see if any of the above applies to you.

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How do you go about being a team player without getting taken advantage of? I do want to say I don't believe "stay in your lane" or you do your job I do my job is being a team player.

I think you need to re-think this team player idea. The way that various people think about it is quite problematic. The person who tries (too) hard being a team player is looking to shore up their own self esteem and at the opposite extreme you have people who are sometimes actually lazy and then use charges of not being a team player when others expect them to do things. "Team player" only works out well when there is a group of very like-minded people which is...just about never.

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I do want to say I don't believe "stay in your lane" or you do your job I do my job is being a team player.

Well, not in those words exactly but what would things look like if everyone primarily worried about performing their own assignment in an excellent manner?  I think it would look pretty GREAT if you think about it. I'm pretty sure it wold be a step up from where things usually are.

Lastly: Yet another reason "team player" stinks is because it's weaponized by administration when there are problems like purposeful short-staffing. They staff the way they want to then demand that everyone be a "team player" -- which actually means there is more work here than what you can reasonably do so we'll just LET YOU ALL FIGHT IT OUT.  Don't fall for that.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Examine why you are trying so hard to please. You will be walked all over.

"For example volunteering to float, willing to work the difficult patient load, offering to take an admission at the end of a shift ". Floating should be done on a rotational basis. The difficult patient load should be spread out when the assignment is made. NOBODY offers to take an admission at the end of a shift.