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Team roles

Belbin developed his team role theory since 1983. In his book 'Team Roles at Work', R. Meredith Belbin (1993) claims that teams are one of the most efficient ways to accomplish tasks and missions. Usually, people get a role assigned to them and have to perform the duties and take up the responsibilities that come along with the role. Throughout history, the ruler or leader was chosen based on seniority and birth. Work was strongly related to gender and race. Due to training and education, this pattern changed at the end of the 19th century. Now, people are hired for their skills and qualifications.

Belbin's approach is that people have a preference for certain roles when working in a team. That means people fit some roles better than other roles. He claims that a team with people with different social skills and attitudes, thus people with varying preferences regarding the role they wish to take up, perform better. Many people search for people that are like themselves, but it is better to look for people who are different. Diversity in companies is nowadays considered an asset the human resources department should strive for.

You can find out which team roles fit you best, based on a questionnaire. However, the interpretation of the results requires a skilled (team) coach. Some people's outcome will show a distinct preference. Other people's result may have a less definite pattern. The latter group will possibly take up a different role in different situations: at work, in the sports club, etc. The preferences will most likely also vary over time and depend on the team itself.

Take Belbin's Team Roles test. Afterwards read what the different names of the roles mean in descriptions below. If you work in a team, it is valuable to print out the results and analyse which roles are covered by your team and which roles are under-represented. Your team has to pay special attention to these untreated roles and possibly someone should be assigned to take up this role. You can also learn to take up other roles than your preferences, but it is wise to stick to those roles that are not entirely alien to you.

Here is a description of the roles from R Meredith Belbin, Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail (Butterworth Heinemann, 2nd ed., 2004), ISBN: 0 7506 5910 6. See also belbin.com for the role descriptions.

Shaper
  • Highly motivated with a lot of nervous energy and a great need for achievement.
  • Like to challenge lead and push others to action, can be headstrong and emotional in response to disappointment or frustration.
  • Generally make good managers because they generate action and thrive on pressure.
Plant
  • Innovators and inventors – can be highly creative.
  • Often enjoy working on their own away from other members of the team.
  • Tend to be introvert and react strongly to criticism and praise.
  • Great for generating new proposals and to solve complex problems.
Co-ordinator
  • Ability to pull a group together to work towards a shared goal.
  • Mature, trusting, and confident they delegate readily. They stay calm under pressure.
  • Quick to spot an individual’s talents and use them to pursue group objectives.
  • Co-ordinators are useful to have in charge of a team with their diverse skills and personal characteristics.
Monitor Evaluator
  • Serious-minded, prudent individuals.
  • Slow deciders who prefer to think things over – usually highly critical thinking ability.
  • Usually make shrewd judgements by taking into account all the factors.
  • Important when analysing problems and evaluating ideas and suggestions.
Resource investigator
  • Good communicators both with other members of the group and with external organisations.
  • Natural negotiators, adept at exploring new opportunities.
  • Adept at finding out what resources are available and what can be done.
  • Relaxed personalities with strong inquisitive sense and a readiness to see the possibilities of anything new.
  • Very good for finding resources and heading negotiations.
Implementer
  • Well organised, enjoy routine and have a practical common-sense and self discipline.
  • Systematic approach to tackling problems
  • Reliable and hardworking.
  • Will do what needs to be done whether or not they will enjoy the task.
Team worker
  • Supportive members of the team.
  • Flexible and adaptable to different situations and people.
  • Perceptive and diplomatic.
  • Good listeners
  • Avoid conflict
  • Good at allowing everyone in the group to contribute.
Completer-Finisher
  • Have a great capacity for follow-through and attention to detail, and seldom start what they cannot finish.
  • Dislike carelessness
  • Reluctant to delegate, they prefer to tackle tasks themselves.
  • Good at tasks that involve close concentration and a close degree of accuracy.
Specialist
  • Pride themselves on acquiring technical skills and specialist knowledge.
  • Priorities are to maintain professional standards and advance their own subject.
  • Very committed.
  • Important in providing the technical expertise and are usually called upon to make decisions involving in depth experience and expertise.
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