We’ve all worked on teams with people that have sapped the energy of the team rather than making a positive contribution. I’m not talking about whether or not you are all friends – in fact it’s heathier to have diversity and people you wouldn’t socialize with away from the team. I am talking about the people who you don’t want because they are self-serving, disruptive, manipulative, egotistical and even actively sabotage the team from within. These people are only going to prevent you from being a happy and successful team.

There are definitely characteristics to look for in people that will mean they become great team members that contribute and energize the team and the people in it. You need to look for these in new people, and the good news is, you can definitely change and develop these characteristics in existing people. It does need work, but you can do it.

So what are these characteristics? Here’s a high level summary of the six key things to look for in people. The acronym I use to remember these is the word ‘CHEERS’.

Commitment

C stands for commitment. Look for people who are going to identify and connect with your purpose, values and ethos as a team, and are keen and willing to commit to the work you do.

Humility

H is for humility. Great team people put the needs of others and the team before their own. You don’t want people whose ego puts them on a pedestal and who are only out for their own personal gain. But remember, humility is thinking of yourself less, not thinking less of yourself.

Empathy

The first E is for empathy. You need people who are emotionally intelligent, who are aware of and care about the emotions of other around them, and the impact they make on them.

Ethics

E is also for ethics. You need people with a working moral compass; a good sense of right and wrong; and people who instinctively live by what I call the basic hygiene values that all of us should live by – things like you don’t steal, lie, or cheat – the kind of unspoken values you hold deeply within your make up as a person.

Respect

R is for respect. People have to have a deep regard for the feelings, wishes and rights of others on the team. You earn respect through your own actions as well as the actions of those around you, and you need it so people will do the things they are asked to do in service of the team’s goals and purpose.

Sacrifice

Finally S is for sacrifice. Sometimes working in a team means thankless hard work that you would prefer not to do, but which the team needs you to. You must have people willing to make personal sacrifices in service of the bigger picture of what your team is there to do. Selfish people are nothing but a drain on your team’s energy and resources.

I hope this is food for thought for when you need to recruit new people onto your team, or if you are looking to develop those already on the team. There’s a lot more about this in the chapter of my book, ‘Getting Teamwork Right‘, which you can find out about on the ‘BOOK’ tab above.