How can I handle a non team player?

How can I deal with a non-team player? I have a workmate who never accepts to help out when a member is in a crisis , even when you clearly explain to her that you were delayed because of a family emergency. She will always have an excuse not to give a hand yet she knows the repercussions of a delay. Drake

Dear Drake,
Organisations are always challenged with building successful and consistently performing teams. The challenge of every manager/supervisor is to create a winning team with members holding each other’s backs and at the same time holding each other accountable for delivery of the team’s goals/ KPIs.
Its always frustrating to have individuals who consistently refuse to work as part of a team even though some may be very good at what they do.
However, if they refuse for example, to stand in for a member who is indisposed or has a domestic problem and is unable to work, then these individuals cease to be valued team members.
Employees who exhibit this kind of behaviour should be identified and called out by the team leaders, to either change their behaviour or else be requested to try their talents elsewhere for the good of the team.
The best example is a football team. Even though usually the most celebrated players are the goal scorers, these players know that for them to score those goals, other players, right from the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, etc, are all key in their quest to pass on the ball for them to score.
They trust that their colleagues on the pitch will pass on the ball at the right time and all they have to do is to position themselves at the right spots to end the ball into the opponent’s net.

Moses Ssesanga
Head Human Resource
Monitor Publications Limited
[email protected]