Belbin’s Team Roles It’s possible that over the years you may have heard of Belbin and also the Team Roles. It’s also possible that you can’t remember all 9 roles or you haven’t got to the stage of understanding how you can use the information to help you as a manager of a team. I remember when I first come across the team roles and immediately felt clearer on who should be taking on roles in teams and why.
The Belbin Team Roles he has developed is called ‘The Belbin Team Role Self-Perception Inventory (BTRSPI)’. The Belbin Team Roles goes beyond a psychological test and especially maps out useful and verifiable information that functions as input for one of the most important factors, namely that of expected behaviour. Overview - Meredith Belbin. When Dr Meredith Belbin decided to investigate the way teams of executives tackled a team-oriented task at the Henley Management College in the 1960s, it is unlikely he expected the results to still be used all over the world 50 years later.
![Belbin Team Roles Test Free Belbin Team Roles Test Free](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125618091/521783706.jpeg)
Once I had an understanding of my behavioural strengths and weaknesses as well as those of my colleagues, it became easier to agree who would be responsible for each part of the task and also understand when someone didn’t deliver! Behavioural strengths and weaknesses It is important to understand your own behavioural strengths and weaknesses as well as those you work with because;. According to Gallup: If people play to their strengths they are six times more likely to be engaged. Gallup also found that employees who feel engaged at work and who can use their strengths in their jobs are more productive and profitable, stay longer, have happier customers, and produce higher quality work.
As a manager or team leader, you will be able to allocate the right people to tasks This means no more trial and error by managers. You can put together high-performing teams based not on job titles and availability, but on behavioural contributions. You can almost start at the “performing” stage of the Tuckman model.
Individuals can understand that valuing and using behavioural difference can result in more productive working relationships. Self-aware individuals can adapt their own behaviours to get the most out of relationships, by understanding potential conflict and being proactive to mitigate it. Team Roles Dr Meredith Belbin stated ‘A Team Role is a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.’ Belbin identified that successful teams need to have the right mix of people within them.
The people within the team represent all nine of the Team Role behaviours. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to have nine people in each of your teams! Belbin suggests the best size for a given team is four people with each team member adopting two or three Team Roles that they are most comfortable with.
They may also manage to cover a few more team roles if they need to. There will be some team roles that they prefer not to adopt at all. This will work as long as one of the other team members picks up this role. This result in team members covering all nine roles. So how do we allocate or assume roles? A Belbin report can identify which of the Team Role behaviours each of your team members prefer. There are free ‘alternative’ versions available on the Internet such as the test at the end of this blog.
It is important for each person to know their own Team Roles and those of their colleagues. Making use of complementary and collective strengths can help those individuals and teams to achieve their full potential. So let’s have a look at the nine roles.in no particular order. Resource Investigator A resource investigator is inquisitive by nature and they find ideas to bring back to the team. This person is typically outgoing and enthusiastic, so they naturally explore opportunities and develop contacts.
A behavioural weakness is that they might be over-optimistic, and can lose interest once the initial enthusiasm has passed. So don’t be too surprised when they forget to follow up on a lead. Teamworker A team worker helps the team to gel, using their versatility to identify the work required and completes it on behalf of the team. This person is usually co-operative, perceptive and diplomatic. As a result, they’re good at listening and averting friction. A behavioural weakness is that they can be indecisive in crunch situations and tend to avoid confrontation. So don’t be too surprised when they are hesitant to make an unpopular decision.
Co-ordinator A co-ordinator focusses on the team’s objectives, draw out team members and delegate work appropriately. They are mature and confident; they identify talent and clarify goals. A behavioural weakness is that they can be seen as manipulative and might offload their own share of the work. So don’t be too surprised when they over-delegate, leaving themselves little work to do.
Plant A Plant tends to be highly creative and good at solving problems in unconventional ways. They are creative, imaginative and freethinking. They’re good at generating ideas and solving difficult problems. A behavioural weakness is that they can ignore incidentals, and may be too preoccupied to communicate effectively. So don’t be too surprised when they are absent-minded or forgetful. Monitor Evaluator A monitor evaluator provides a logical eye, making impartial judgements where required and weighs up the team’s options in a dispassionate way.
They are sober, strategic and discerning. They have an ability to see all options and judge accurately. A behavioural weakness is that they sometimes lack the drive and ability to inspire others and can be overly critical. So don’t be too surprised when they are slow to come to decisions.
Specialist A specialist brings in-depth knowledge of a key area to the team. They are often single-minded, self-starting and dedicated. They provide specialist knowledge and skills. A behavioural weakness is that they tend to contribute on a narrow front and can dwell on the technicalities. So don’t be too surprised when they overload you with information!
Shaper A shaper provides the necessary drive to ensure that the team keeps moving and does not lose focus or momentum. They are challenging, dynamic and thrive on pressure. The shaper has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles. A behavioural weakness is that they can be prone to provocation, and may sometimes offend people’s feelings. So don’t be too surprised when they become aggressive and bad-humoured in their attempts to get things done.
Implementer An implementer plans a workable strategy and carry it out as efficiently as possible. They are practical, reliable and efficient. The implementer is good at turning ideas into actions and organising work that needs to be done. A behavioural weakness is that they can be a bit inflexible and slow to respond to new possibilities. So don’t be too surprised when they are slow to relinquish their plans in favour of positive changes. Completer Finisher A completer finisher is most effective at the end of tasks. This is when they polish and scrutinise the work for errors, subjecting it to the highest standards of quality control.
They are usually painstaking, conscientious and can be anxious. They searches for errors which they then polish and perfect.
A behavioural weakness is that they can be inclined to worry unduly, and reluctant to delegate. So don’t be too surprised when they are accused of taking their perfectionism to extremes. So which one are you? Let us know and it would be great to hear if this helps you in your role as Team Leader or Manager. For more courses and information.
If you have enjoyed reading this and would like to learn more, why not join us on our next ILM Level 4 course in Leadership and Management starting soon contact us on. Or study an ILM accredited Leadership and Management course online at. Or you can sample our free taster sessions on youtube at.
To access more blogs go to.
Why is your team successful? Why is your team failing? Belbin has an answer. Raymond Meredith Belbin is the leading authority on team roles. His research, that spanned more than 40 years, showed that it is more important how members fit together than how smart they individually are. Successful teams were comprised of members with different and compatible roles, while unsuccessful ones were characterized by constant conflicts between members with similar tendencies and personalities.
What happens when you make a team out of A players Belbin’s research produced several that enabled experts to determine if an individual will become a business superstar. Those who passed with flying colors were smarter, had better analytical skills, and were better than others in almost every aspect. Logically, the next step in research was to create a super team made up entirely of these outstanding individuals. Belbin named them the Apollo team.
Expectations were high as everyone thought the superstars of the Apollo team would achieve success effortlessly. However, it turned out that team made out of the strongest individuals is not as effective as it should be - what’s more, it usually performed worse than a regular team. The Apollo team members had spent most of their time debating and trying to persuade other members that their point of view was the correct one. However, no one was willing to change their point of view and each member loved to find holes in each others’ arguments.
The team couldn’t reach a decision together while more pressing jobs were completely neglected. Belbin team roles The Apollo team experiment proved that good teams require balance. Over the course of years, Belbin defined nine possible team roles, which he categorized into three groups: ACTION-ORIENTED ROLES Action oriented roles focus on improving team’s performance, putting ideas into action, and meeting deadlines. The three action-oriented roles are:. Shaper - extrovert that questions assumptions. Implementer - brings self-discipline to the team.
Completer Finisher - pays attention to smallest details and makes sure things are done right PEOPLE-ORIENTED ROLES People oriented roles bring people and ideas together. The three people oriented roles are:. Coordinator - brings order into the team.
Team worker - provides support to the team in a diplomatic way. Resource Investigator - develops outside contacts THOUGHT-ORIENTED ROLES Thought oriented roles analyze options and provide technical expertise. The three cerebral roles are: Plant - comes up with innovative, ground-breaking solutions Monitor evaluator - assesses team decisions analytically and critically Specialist - experts in particular subject matter Roles characteristics, contribution, and weaknesses Each Belbin team role comes with its set of characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses (some of which are allowable and others that are not).
Ideal team for a small business To have a well-functioning team, it would be ideal to have a member for each role. However, to make that happen, you would need a team of at least 9 people. Since small businesses often work with smaller teams, it is only fair to ask: how would Belbin construct a successful small team? Firstly, it would be ideal if the team had 6 members. Belbin’s research has proven that teams with less than 6 members struggle with work and overlapping duties, while teams with more members (7+) tend to get lazy and do the same amount of work as the six-member team. Secondly, Belbin claims that successful small team should have one Coordinator, one Implementer, and one Plant.
Those are a must. Choose other roles as you see fit. You are probably wondering: “If I have a task that requires creative solution, why don’t I just gather three ‘Plant’ members and let them work their magic?” It turns out, you shouldn’t do this.
During his research, Dr. Belbin wanted to know how teams made of people with similar personalities function in everyday business environment, and how they cope when it comes to problem-solving. To achieve this, he divided examinees into four groups based on their personalities:.
Stable Extroverts - Excellent communicators. They are best as sales representatives or HR managers. Anxious Extroverts - Ideal for high-paced working environments. They are most likely to work as sales managers, works managers, and editors. Stable Introverts - Perfect for long-lasting, close-knit teams. Their usual occupations are administrators, solicitors, government officials, and corporate planners. Anxious Introverts - They excel at individual jobs that require self-direction and self-sustaining persistence.
These are extremely creative people, research scientists, and specialists on long-term assignments. Each group was divided into a number of teams. These newly formed ’pure’ teams brought out extremes in behavior and effects. Results showed that purely extroverted teams had a higher rate of success than purely introverted ones. On the other hand, there were differences in results as each group had strengths and weaknesses:. Stable Extrovert teams - These teams work well together, enjoy group work, have a versatile approach, and use resources well.
However, they are inclined to be euphoric and lazy. They had achieved good results overall, but are dependent on one another. Anxious Extrovert teams - They are dynamic and entrepreneurial, good at seizing opportunities, and prone to the healthy disagreements. On the other hand they are easily distracted and can quickly stray off topic. They had excellent results in rapidly changing situations, but were utterly unreliable at other times.
Stable Introvert teams - Excellent planning and strong organization are their strong suits. However, they tend to be slow-moving and often neglect new factors in a situation. When it comes to results, team members didn’t really care whether they were good or bad. Anxious Introvert teams - These teams are capable of good ideas, but have a tendency to get preoccupied and often lack team cohesion. Naturally, their results were poor.
In some cases, different teams of the same group achieved different results. After closer analysis, Belbin determined that every ‘pure’ team that achieved a noticeable result had one thing in common: one of the members has taken the role of an Implementer. Implementers were not simply team members who only did or arranged things (most work involves both). In behavioral terms, they were people who essentially worked for the company, rather than in pursuit of self-interest, and did so in a practical and realistic way.
They could identify with the organization and would accept and look for goals in work that fell in line with its ideals and aspirations. There was never any question that jobs would not be done because they did not feel like it or it did not interest them. Belbin, These Implementers were:. Disciplined individuals who got work done swiftly and systematically;. Tough-minded, practical, trusting, and tolerant towards others;.
Conscientious and aware of external obligations;. Respectful of existing conditions and ways of looking at things;. With a well-developed sense of self-image and a high degree of internal control. Belbin figured out that he finally found the secret sauce for the perfect worker. Therefore, the next logical experiment was to create a team made entirely out of Implementers. Just like with the Apollo team, expectations were high. And just like with the Apollo team, these teams of ‘perfect workers’ turned out to be a disappointment.
According to the findings, they produced average results at best. Implementers were well organised and diligent, but lacked any real ideas. They were strongly committed to anything they set in motion, but were disturbed if plans changed. Simply put - they worked well but failed to get good results. Final words Just like in the matter, Dr.
Belbin proved that closely knit teams of compatible members will get you much further than the group of highly intelligent but stubborn individuals. So, when making a team, take your time with the, and choose your team members carefully - because in the end, they will be the ones who bring you success or failure. To find out your Belbin role, visit the and apply for an official test. You can also take this.