Being seen to be a good team player is an extremely important part of the Australian psyche — to be a maverick or a loner will invariably ostracize a person from their colleagues. Creating a positive, collegiate feel in a department or project group would be seen as a key management function and ‘bonding’ sessions (often including food and drink) are actively encouraged.

It goes without saying that anyone who tries to make themselves out to be better than their colleagues does not make a good team player — nor does anyone who wishes to be successful at the expense of a colleague. A competitive edge should be directed towards the other ‘team’ (the competition) rather than being internally focused.