The Tribune

More than a decade ago, when I returned home to manage a large company in the Bahamas, I learned what “doing my work” means. Generally, when you ask a Bahamian to do something outside of their regular office routine, they will resist you with every fibre of their being. The excuse often being that they are doing ‘their work’. This attitude is still very prevalent in the Bahamas, and has not been shaken due to hard times. Needless to say, it does not fit well with members of the marketing revolution because we are always trying something different.

Many persons have no idea that their work must connect to some type of value for the customer. Whether you are the janitor or the managing director, your work matters. And unless you work by yourself for yourself, you are part of a team. But it is also my observation that outside of sports, there are few things in our education system that teach us how to be good team players. Therefore we have many people that are excellent as individuals, but when put in a group of other Bahamians, absolute chaos ensues.

My recipe for being a good team player extends beyond doing your part well. I think that people instinctively understand they have to do their part well in order to gain some level of satisfaction, as well as be considered competent. In fact, I believe the key to doing your part well is to answer a very key question: Who is the primary rain maker in the organisation?

In the Bahamas, most workers define the boss as the person who can fire them. However, this is not necessarily the person I am talking about. Somewhere, up or down the ladder in the company, is someone who decides on how it makes money or fulfills its purpose. Work towards enabling this individual and you are a good team player.

For example, you may be the sales manager and one of your salespersons is a star. Your job now becomes to enable this person to get out there and sell like crazy, providing all the support systems necessary to make them free and clear to sell.

Or you may be the marketing rep that calls to make sure the customer is satisfied with his order. Once again, by making the person who is selling look as good as possible, you will be a good team player and focused on the right aspects of your job.

Bosses, too, need to realise that you focus your efforts around the rain maker, because when the company does well everybody receives the benefits.

• NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and has helped small and large clients both here and internationally. Go to DArcyRahming.com and get his free video training series on How to Get a Paycheck From International Clients While Living in the Bahamas.