| |
 Dr.
Meredith Belbin’s work is considered to be the most important single
contribution to the understanding of how human organizations work and how to
make them better. Dr. Belbin’s crucial perception is that all members of
work teams have a dual role. The first is considered the “functional role”.
An obvious understanding is that a member belongs to a team because of
specific roles such as an accountant, engineer or marketing executive much
like in sports for a kicker, quarterback, fullback or receiver.
The other less obvious roles
have to do with what is called a team role. These are characteristics about
a team member that they will take to whatever team they are on. He is very
detailed, she is intuitive or he is sobering with his input. That’s really
the beauty of teams and leadership – the diversity of these roles and
understanding that there are allowable weaknesses as well as strengths that
can be tapped into for success. These different temperament-types play off
of each other and balance out in a team.
The Belbin®
Team Roles address these differences and work under the philosophy that we
are all good at something, whether it’s details, new ideas or staying task
driven, therefore we are probably not good at something else; so for every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If we understand the
differences in these roles then we can:
- better address conflict
- provide effective feedback
- enhance communication styles
- function as a high performing team
The following chart describes
the nine different roles of the
Belbin® Team Roles.
BELBIN
TEAM ROLE TYPE |
CONTRIBUTIONS |
ALLOWABLE
WEAKNESSES |
PLANT
 |
Creative,
imaginative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems. |
Ignores
incidentals. Too pre-occupied to communicate effectively. |
COORDINATOR
 |
Mature,
confident, a good chairperson. Clarifies goals, promotes
decision-making, delegates well. |
Can often be
seen as manipulative. Off-loads personal work. |
MONITOR EVALUATOR
 |
Sober,
strategic and discerning. Sees all options. Judges accurately. |
Lacks drive
and ability to inspire others. |
IMPLEMENTER
 |
Disciplined,
reliable, conservative and efficient. Turns ideas into practical
actions. |
Somewhat
inflexible. Slow to respond to new possibilities. |
COMPLETER FINISHER
 |
Painstaking,
conscientious, anxious. Searches out errors and omissions. Delivers on
time. |
Inclined to
worry unduly. Reluctant to delegate. |
RESOURCE INVESTIGATOR
 |
Extrovert,
enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities. Develops
contacts. |
Over-optimistic. Loses interest once initial enthusiasm has passed. |
SHAPER
 |
Challenging,
dynamic, thrives on pressure. The drive and courage to overcome
obstacles. |
Prone to
provocation. Offends people's feelings. |
TEAMWORKER
 |
Co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens, builds, averts
friction. |
Indecisive
in crunch situations. |
SPECIALIST
 |
Single-minded, self-stating, dedicated. Provides knowledge and skills
in rare supply. |
Contributes
only on a narrow front. Dwells on technicalities. |
More information about Dr.
Meredith Belbin and the Belbin® Team Roles is available
here.
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