Which communication technique shows that someone has a team orientation

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Teamwork super-power: 40 self-appraisal comments that flex your skills

Teamwork makes the dream work. 

At least, that’s what they say. But when it comes to teamwork, feedback and guidance are just as important as collaboration. There are plenty of types of feedback — and knowing which feedback lever to pull is important. 

If you’re managing a team (or in a self-managed team), consider ways you can use communication and feedback to unlock your team’s potential. 

Use these practical examples of phrases, sample comments, and templates for your performance review, 360 feedback survey, or manager appraisal. The following examples relate don't just relate to teamwork. Use them for relationship-building, peer relationships, motivation, building enthusiasm, and employee engagement.

Performance review phrases for excellent teamwork skills

• You are always willing to coach others and you often make yourself available to demonstrate your learning to the team around you. Well done.
• You are extremely well mannered, often treating people with dignity and respect they deserve. As a result, people feel they can approach you about any problems they may have
• You treat every suggestion or request equally. Great! Keep it up!
• Trustworthiness is one of your key traits. You create an environment of open communication between your colleagues. Well done!
• You often share the achievements of projects with the team. You are a very humble and down-to-earth person. Great work!
• You approach conflict logically and rationally.  You don't often let the emotions of others cloud your judgment. Keep it up! 
• When the team has an issue, you identify and resolve the problem quickly and easily.
• You have no problem getting along with everyone in the organization, no matter what their position is.
• You often put the team first! You are the go-to person when problems need solving and you always put your personal problems aside. The team could really take a leaf out of your book.
• When providing feedback, you often encourage and motivate the right behavior. Well done!

Performance review phrases for satisfactory teamwork skills

• You communicate ideas and opinions clearly to other team members. 
• You receive constructive feedback well from other team members. You also give constructive feedback from time to time, which has been helpful. 
• Your confidence has improved. You show confidence when making decisions for the team. 
• I feel like your leadership skills have shown improvement. You have a good ability to influence others and lead by example. 
• You tend to build relationships with other team members well but could do a better job of making sure all stakeholders are informed. Great work making sure everything is completed on time. 
• You build rapport with others well and make your teammates feel appreciated. 
• You’re good at regulating your emotions. You know how to express your feelings in non-confrontational ways. 
• You’re observant and intuitive. You are quick to notice when tension might be building within the team and take action as needed. 
• You model empowerment for others but you could encourage more of it. Do more of asking others to speak up in meetings. 

Performance review phrases when teamwork skills need improvement

• I feel you allow your team to have too much freedom. This can be great if they effectively complete projects in time, however at this stage they seem to easily get sidetracked with other tasks.
• You tend to act alone in most projects. Try to become more involved with the team, they could do with your input.
• You tend to shy away from assignments that require group efforts. Remember that team effort can yield greater results.
• Try and remember that your opinions are only opinions and not necessarily the best way to deal with projects and tasks. Employees should be encouraged to challenge the opinions of their leaders.
• You tend to crave personal recognition, which results in the team feeling impartial and detached from any of your decisions. Try to praise others more.
• You tend to domineer others, which puts people off and leads to misjudgment. Try to encourage others to contribute too.
• Try to interact and communicate with your team more often. Open communication leads to a trusted and engaged work environment.
• Often co-workers will have ideas but you can shut them down. Sometimes your teammates will have really great ideas. Try to create an environment that encourages this.
• When you are the manager of a team, you need to understand what motivates others. By understanding motivations, you can encourage them to do their best.
• Remember people will trust you more when you get to know them. Take the time to have conversations with people.
• You could be more receptive to feedback. Try to reframe your perspective on feedback — it’s coming from a place of care. 

Feedback to improve teamwork skills

• When coaching your peers, try to have a more hands-on approach and provide constructive reinforcement amongst the team.
• Try to have regular check-ins with employees to gauge where their heads are at and where they feel they need improvement.
• Remember to offer training to enhance the team's effectiveness and identify weaknesses in teams.
• When groups underperform, try to take appropriate action to address the issues in the team.
• When teams are performing above and beyond their defined task, remember to reward and recognize your employees.
• Try to engage the team more. Guide them to embrace change.
• You’re really good at understanding individual teams. Try to create a cross-functional department, using the skills from each department to boost productivity.
• You’re good at delegating responsibility. However, try to foster an environment where your colleagues take responsibility automatically.
• Try to communicate the team's vision and expectations so that they fall in line with the company’s overall goals and vision.
• You’re good at providing feedback with group accountability. However, try to be more constructive so that teams can learn and develop the necessary skills.

8 self-appraisal questions to assess your teamwork skills

If you’re wondering how you’re doing with your teamwork skills, try asking yourself some of these questions. With a self-evaluation, you can gain insight into your teamwork skills. 

• When have you encouraged others to speak up or voice their perspective? 
• When was the last time you put the teams’ goals ahead of your own goals? 
• What has been your biggest challenge with your team in the last 3 months? What was your role in solving that challenge? 
• What’s been your biggest team accomplishment in the last 3 months? What was your role in reaching that goal? 
• Do teammates or peers seek advice or input from you often? 
• When was the last time you publicly recognized a teammate for their contributions? 
• How do you promote a team-oriented work environment? 
• When’s the last time you gave a teammate positive feedback? 

Fine-tune your collaboration skills 

It’s rare (and dare we say, impossible) to have a successful career without teamwork. The secret to high-performing teams lies in a team that works well together. 

In the workplace, teamwork is a muscle that we all need to build. But for most (if not all) of us, it takes practice. 

BetterUp can help fine-tune your teamwork skills. At BetterUp, we’re here to help everyone live with purpose, clarity, and passion. And to unlock your team’s potential, you have to understand the whole person. You have to understand who your teammates are as people, what their strengths are, and how to empower them. 

Get started with virtual coaching. With BetterUp, you can help your team thrive in an ever-changing world. 

Published April 15, 2022

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

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