Belbin describes a team role as “a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.” There are 3 action oriented roles – Shaper, Implementer and Completer Finisher; 3 people oriented roles – Co-ordinator, Teamworker and Resource Investigator and 3 cerebral roles – Plant, Monitor Evaluator .
Belbin’s Team Role Theory, developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin, suggests that for a team to perform effectively, it needs a balance of nine different roles. These roles can be categorized into three groups: Action Oriented Roles (Shaper, Implementer, and Completer Finisher), People Oriented Roles (Coordinator, Team Worker, and Resource Investigator), and Cerebral Roles (Plant, Monitor Evaluator, and Specialist). Each role brings unique strengths and weaknesses to the team, and understanding these dynamics is crucial for effective team management.
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Assessment of team role
The team roles describe a pattern of behaviour that characterises one person’s behaviour in relationship to another in facilitating the progress of a team. This approach enables an individual or team to benefit from self-knowledge and adjust behaviour according to the demands being made by the external situation. An individual’s team role is established through a ‘Self Perception Inventory’, a questionnaire designed to establish your preferred way of working in a team environment.
This can be supported through the inclusion of ‘observer assessments’ which provide independent evidence about an individual’s team roles. The assessments are available either online or via Belbin’s book.
Use of the team roles
It should always be remembered that the tool helps to describe an individual’s ‘preferred’ team roles and is designed to indicate how you would ideally operate in a team environment. Strength in one team role is often at the expense of what might be seen as a weakness in another context.
An ideal team should ideally have a healthy balance of all 9 team roles. Strong teams normally have a strong co-ordinator, a plant, a monitor evaluator and one or more implementers, team workers, resource investigators or completer finishers. A shaper should be an alternative to a co-ordinator rather than having both. In practice, the ideal is rarely the case, and it can be beneficial for a team to know which of the team roles are either over represented or absent and to understand individual’s secondary roles.
Team roles tend to develop and mature and may change with experience and conscious attention. If a role is absent from the team, then it is often filled by someone who has not recognised this role as a dominant one. The team should share their team roles to increase understanding and enable mutual expectations to be met.
Notes on Belbin’s Team Role Theory:
- Action Oriented Roles: a. Shaper: This role is characterized by being dynamic, challenging, and driven by a desire to achieve. b. Implementer: Implementers are practical, reliable, and efficient in turning ideas into actions. c. Completer Finisher: Individuals with this role possess a keen eye for detail, ensuring tasks are completed thoroughly and to a high standard.
- People Oriented Roles: a. Coordinator: Coordinators are adept at delegating tasks, bringing people together, and ensuring team cohesion. b. Team Worker: Team workers are cooperative, diplomatic, and excellent at building relationships within the team. c. Resource Investigator: Individuals with this role excel at networking, exploring opportunities, and bringing external ideas into the team.
- Cerebral Roles: a. Plant: Plants are creative, innovative, and adept at generating ideas and solving complex problems. b. Monitor Evaluator: Monitor Evaluators possess a rational and analytical mindset, providing critical analysis and judgment to the team. c. Specialist: Specialists are individuals with in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area, providing expertise and focus within the team.
Exam Questions:
- Explain Belbin’s Team Role Theory and discuss its significance in team management. (10 marks)
- Compare and contrast the Action Oriented Roles and People Oriented Roles in Belbin’s Team Role Theory. (8 marks)
- Provide examples of how each of the nine team roles in Belbin’s theory can contribute to the success of a business project. (12 marks)
- Discuss the challenges that teams might face in implementing Belbin’s Team Role Theory in real-world scenarios. (10 marks)
Further information
- Belbin, R. Meredith (2003), Management teams: why they succeed or fail, 2nd Ed, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford
- Belbin, R. Meredith (1996), Team roles at work, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford