In the 1970s, Dr. Meredith Belbin and his associates conducted a series of studies, in order to find the answer to this question: why do some teams manage to get excellent results and others “hit the rocks”? For several decades, they have studied management teams all across the world. The results of their research show that the difference between success and failure for a team is not dependent on factors such as intellect, but more on behavior. They have grouped these clusters of behavior in 9 team roles or team contributions.
A team role was defined as “a tendency to behave, contribute or interrelate with others in a particular way”. Each of these 9 team roles has both strengths and “allowable weaknesses”, being irreplaceable in successfully conducting a team project from its start to its finish. So, in a nutshell, Belbin philosophy is about celebrating individual differences and finding the right place for each person within a team. Here is a short description of the 9 team roles:
- Plant – a very creative person, who has a natural tendency to generate ideas and solve difficult problems in unusual or unexpected ways.
- Monitor-Evaluator – the person who filters the ideas, carefully weighs them and has the ability to see possible risks related to each of them.
- Specialist – the one who is capable of bringing in-depth information, after thoroughly studying a narrow field.
- Shaper – the person who goes from ideas to actions, making things happen, having a lot of energy and a natural ability to achieve goals.
- Implementer – the right person to give a task to and be sure it will be solved without difficulty, following clear steps and known procedures.
- Completer-Finisher – the one who refines the result, having a natural ability to observe the smallest detail or error and correct it thoroughly.
- Resource Investigator – the exuberant person who easily and naturally establishes contacts outside the group, preventing it from isolating from the rest of the world.
- Team Worker – the one who is concerned with the welfare of the group (in his/her absence conflicts between colleagues may arise daily), the person who always has a shoulder to cry on or a nice encouragement to give you.
- Coordinator – the person who knows perfectly each member of the group and has the gift to get the most out of everyone, just like a conductor who knows exactly when each instrument in an orchestra needs to enter the stage.
These team roles, identified by Dr. Meredith Belbin and his associates, are widely used by thousands of companies across the globe, being nowadays the most powerful team assessment tool. Knowing these roles, we make sure we'll use each individual's strengths to the advantage of our project and we'll manage his/her weakness the best way we can.
In order to assess your team using this tool, contact us with confidence, profiting from our BELBIN® accredited consultant's expertise.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY
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I mostly appreciated the appropriate selection of the activities, which were well planned and adapted to our profile. I realized that the team could become strong, if I also contributed to it.
(Inter Broker)
It’s very important to adapt my team role, in certain situations. I can integrate easily and I’m an important player, who completes the team. (Coficab) -
I grew aware of certain parts of my behavior that could be improved. I realized I had to be more open to my colleagues’ ideas on conflict – the importance of conflict for a team. I discovered the hidden tallents of my colleagues, I found out more on their preferred tasks and working style.
(ACI Worldwide) -
A very important aspect that I liked, was that nobody got bored. The program was very engaging and entertaining from the first moment to the last minute. The exercises reproduced real situations that we were faced with, in our daily work. As a consequence, I realized I had to listen to my colleagues more and help them, as usually, with all accountability.
(dm - drogerie markt)
