I’ve been criticised for not being enough of a team player. However, I prefer working on my own as I get more done in a shorter time. Is that such a bad thing?
There’s nothing wrong with preferring to work on your own, but teamwork is highly valued in many corporate settings, so it’s important to recognise how important it can be to your colleagues and your managers. And the fact that your preference has been noticed and has prompted criticism should perhaps encourage you to examine the state of your relationships with others at work.
Your perception is that you get more done, but that is probably not what your bosses see – otherwise they wouldn’t be criticising you. From their point of view perhaps you appear uncooperative, unfriendly, and difficult to work with. It may even be the case that your managers are unaware of what you actually achieve, because you find it hard to communicate. If you are an outstanding performer it may be worth making the case that the team approach doesn’t always work for you. The exceptional can always be treated as an exception. However, you need to be really sure your work is well above average – if no one else thinks you’re special then this approach won’t work.
In theory, teamwork should make life easier, giving you the freedom to concentrate on your strengths while others take care of the tasks you’re less good at. In an ideal world, an effective team is composed of individuals who trust and respect each other, and are supported by an organisation that recognises and rewards both individual and team effort. In reality there are few instances of such harmony so everyone has to compromise. An effective strategy may be to show team spirit when it’s most appropriate, while getting the important work done in the way that causes you fewest problems. At least show a willingness to work with the team rather than openly showing contempt for it.