The Ideal Team Player: Cultivating High-Performance Teams in the Pulp & Paper Industry

In today’s pulp and paper industry, technical skills are essential, but they’re not enough. Long-term success comes from working well with others and building strong, accountable teams. This TAPPI seminar introduces The Ideal Team Player framework by Patrick Lencioni, a proven model used by leading organizations to develop exceptional team culture.

You’ll explore the three core traits of an ideal team player - Humble, Hungry, and People Smart—and learn how to recognize and apply them in yourself and others. Whether you’re leading a team, growing in your role, or preparing to launch your career, this session offers practical strategies to strengthen collaboration, improve performance, and increase your impact.

We’ll also touch on the Engagement Model, which shows how employee commitment grows when people do meaningful work, in the right role, for a great leader. 

Ideal for professionals at all levels and students alike, this session includes real-world applications, peer interaction, and a Q&A for sharing insights and next steps.

Audience: 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Spot and encourage humble, hungry, and people-smart behaviors in themselves and teammates.
• Use simple tools and techniques to improve teamwork and hold others accountable.
• Develop practical interview questions to identify ideal team player traits in candidates.
• Apply the Engagement Model to create more meaningful and motivating work experiences.

Keywords: 

Teamwork, Leadership, Collaboration, Career Development, Employee Engagement, Motivation, Professional Development,Employee Retention  

Since graduating from college, I have grown up in the Pulp & Paper Industry. During the first phase of my career, I strived to be the best Process Control Engineer and was able to help my customers to achieve significant performance improvements and cost savings!

I got into sales because I love building strong partnerships and helping my customers achieve business success from a broader perspective. With a strong technical background, my ability to identify and implement data-driven strategies and build genuine relationships lead to greater customer satisfaction and increased revenue.

In addition to this experience, my key skills include:
• Strategically oriented
• Collaborative problem-solver
• Improving customer productivity as a result of process improvement
• Facilitating customer growth