We've all experienced these personalities in the workplace. First, there's Mr. Arrogant—the team member who has "done this before." He is the resume reciter—always making sure you know his experience, where he came from and why he's over-qualified or above the task at hand.

Then there's Ms. Confused. She seems to be two conversations behind everyone else. She doesn't understand the goal of the task at hand and, in her state of confusion, only offers up tactical responses, not strategy.

Don't forget Ms. Chicken Little. In her world, the sky is always falling. She's willing to work hard, but points out every obstacle in the way and doesn't believe it's possible to achieve success.

Finally, don't forget Mr. Blamer. He's the one who blames everyone else for any problems or failures. He's the finger pointer, and he's not quiet about it.

When you have these competing personalities on your team, how can you come to a resolution that brings everyone together in a harmonious, collaborative, "unicorns and rainbows" environment?

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, learn these secrets for fixing your dysfunctional team that New York Times bestselling author and speaker, Kevin Kruse, shares in a recent Forbes article.

Kruse quotes organizational psychologist, Liane Davey, who states that the best way to fix your team is to first fix yourself. The author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done, Davey says that every successful turnaround effort is initially led by one "brave soul who looked in the mirror and didn't like what he or she saw."

Now I know what you're thinking. "What? I'm not the crazy one—look at my team!" It's hard to believe that if you change yourself, you can change your team. Well, give it a try with these five tips Kruse shares from Davey's book.

1. Start with a positive assumption: Short-circuit your biases, unpack your baggage and truly appreciate the value your teammates bring.

2. Add your full value: Show up. Bring your full self to the team and share your full value, whether that be your experiences, your connections, your leadership or other personality traits, instead of "just doing what is in your job description," as Kruse explains.

3. Amplify other voices: Use your clout or respect to help other voices on the team be heard. These are typically those quieter teammates or those teammates who have less popular opinions.

4. Know when to say "No": Be stingy about when you say "no." Only say no to things that will dilute the focus of the team, stretch resources and slow down progress.

5. Embrace productive conflict: Different points of view can be a great thing for a team. You just have to know how to manage and value these differing viewpoints. Help the team out by managing these disagreements in positive way that promotes understanding and reduces defensiveness.

A collaborative team can be highly effective in moving a business forward. Begin practicing these tips today to create positive results.

Source: Kevin Kruse is a serial entrepreneur whose companies have won both Inc. 500 and Best Place to Work awards. He's a New York Times bestselling author and speaker. His newest book is Employee Engagement 2.0.