Being on a team can be frustrating. Somethings are just out of your control. Although you may have dismay with certain habits and personalities, I always recommend simply worrying about yourself. Be the best you can, and perhaps the culture can change through example. I’m not going to teach anyone anything because I certainly have flaws, and most likely am difficult to get along with as well. However, every day I try to be better. Here are my 4 A’s I try to be better at:

1. Accountability: Do you take responsibility for your actions and overall consequence of the team? Do you self-assess what you could have done better? Do you consider what everyone else around you did a good job on? Thinking about these questions allows you to identify  what you have control over, and can lead you to be solution-oriented rather than simply a person who identifies problems and no solutions. Additionally, when you find these solutions, others around you are more confident in your ability to both lead and improve.
2. Availability: Can you be reached at most hours? If not, do you respond ASAP and promptly? Do you reply regardless of whether you can or can’t do something? Can you be reached quickly? Is your presence consistent and predictable? I completely understand work-life balance and when to make time for things and people you care about, but are you communicating a best as you can? In adulthood there are so many moving parts, that people appreciate knowing how to proceed. It’s important to tell someone yes, and also having the courtesy of telling people no. This allows people and teams to move forward without lingering considerations. It also decreases stress when others know which method to get the fastest answers form you.
3. Accessibility: Do people know how to reach you, and what the best methods are? Privacy is important, but I do value the relationships I’ve built from people reaching out to me and vice versa. Most people can vouch it was very easy to contact me, and I take pride in that. A lot of collaboration starts when a person has the ability to reach out to ask for help. Filtering spam and ill-intended people is much easier than you think, and be quickly dealt with. The good outweighs the bad, however I highly advise against public display of personal phone numbers and addresses.
4. Awareness: One of my favorite sayings is that “if everywhere smells like shit, it’s probably you.” It’s important to self-assess yourself and environment to figure out where problems lie, and whether if it’s your own attitude that needs adjusting.

I’m not perfect, and I really don’t think I’ll ever be (and I’m definitely cool with that). What’s perfect anyways? Anyhow, I hope the questions above can provide ways to assess yourself and your environment in order to be better.