Oh man I don't even know where to begin with this one after the day I had to endure at work. At work I'm a good worker I've earned employee of the month, haven' been late ever(hopefully never will)and generally make self scarifies to better the function of the store/workplace. For example when I work I help everyone else out before I even start my own tasks for the day, and I stay late always when asked and I will complete any tasks no matter how piety it is if it is assigned to me to do by my manager. Now I feel as though they are just taking advantage of me because it seems like I get asked to do everyone else's tasks/job even when someone else is completely available and is just standing around doing nothing and its starting to affect my work as in I'm starting to become slow and not getting my work done because I'm doing other peoples job "favors" for everyone else.


My question to you all is what do you think is it better to be a team player and work together to benefit everyone as a whole or work only to benefit yourself and provide no help to others(just basically worry about your self and get your job done)

Working as a team is always preferable to working alone. However, when the team gives up on you and just flat-out sucks, working alone is kind of necessary. They're just dragging you down, and your contributions go unnoticed in their sea of futility.

I've always kinda been a team player. I have a big family so I guess that's been pretty influential in how I came to be like that. Although sometimes your team can utterly suck and be unreliable. So in a way you need to know when to be both.

That's kind of mean the way they are taking advantage of you like that. Its always nice to help others out, but if you may think to seem they are asking more too often you should say no. With what you have you should balance things out. With your work and to help those who ask you for help. Don't go doing something that will affect your job as you said. '-'

That's a tough question. It's better to be a team if the goals and procedures are already set, because the only thing left is for each member to do its corresponding part. However, if the goals and procedures aren't set, sometimes it's better to go solo.

Everybody knows that, when forming a team, each member has its way of working: writing, presentation, sources... These can lead to conflict most often than not, and if you cannot state beforehand how the way of working will be for all members, you better be patient to deal with constant discussions. It's also a matter of responsibility, because probably the leader or instigator doesn't care about the final result as much as other team members could.

After that, we have the example you mention: people getting advantage of others. I've done that in the past, but that was school work and not a job, so it was far less serious. In your position, I would say better focus on your work, it's always a priority over anything else that can come up "by accident". If you say to your manager that you're busy doing something you were scheduled to do, and you're actually doing that work, then you should be safe and not get any extra tasks. If he/she pushes you to do it, then simply rebel and stick to your work. Each person should take care of their own work, and if they can't, they should be fired. 

I'm in charge of two teams of people who kinda work with each other but a majority of their responsibilities are individual.

If what you are talking about happened in my building, I would want you to do a few things.

1.  Come to your manager and explain what you're seeing and doing.  Be objective, don't use names and say, "I have done this and this for my own work but I've done this and this to help others."

2.  Ask if the manager wants you to continue helping others at the cost of your own production or if they need you to focus on your own work first.

3.  If they want you to do your own things first, you can use that explanation if people get angry or upset when they ask for your help and you say no.  You can respond with, "I'd like to help but BOSS says I need to finish this instead.  Sorry."  After a while the people asking for help will stop asking if they realize they can't get you to do their work.

It does two things when you talk to your manager.  You'll let them know you're participating but you're doing less for yourself at the expense of others.  It will also alert them that other staff members may need more training or help to get their own tasks done.  I, as a boss, don't always know exactly what's going on but if I see everything is done, I don't ask questions.  I say, 'Good work," and I move on.  

Unless you say something, I can't make the change.