Belbin Team Roles

This article endeavours to provide a detailed insight into the nine team roles Meredith Belbin believed are crucial for a team to develop and more forward.

The following team development model helps you greatly in creating a balanced team, as it can be ensured that each strength is covered by just one employee, so everyone is contributing. The team may have as many as nine members, or as little as three of four, as long as each of these roles and skills are covered:

1) Plant – Got the name as one is ‘planted’ in each team. They tend to be highly creative and unorthodox, so come to the fore when solving puzzles. However, they can be forgetful or easily distracted.

2) Monitor Evaluator – Provides a calm and logical presence in high pressure situations such as important business decisions. They weigh up the teams options in a realistic sense. However, they may be slow making decisions as they consider many options and can be overly critical.

3) Co-Ordinator – Weigh up team members strengths and weaknesses in relation to targets and objectives, delegating tasks to appropriately capable employees. Weaknesses often include over delegating, leaving themselves little work to do.

4) Resource Investigator – Research how the teams project will integrate into and become useful in the business world. May provide information on rivals if motivation is lacking. Often forget to follow up on leads.

5) Implementer – Put in place a tailored strategy and carry it out so that development is achieved as efficiently as possible. Can let themselves down by not meeting deadlines due to wanting perfection.

6) Completer Finisher – Check and double check the completed work for errors, ensuring the project meets a high standard of quality. May hold up the completion of the project by editing small, hardly worthwhile things.

7) Teamworker – Identify how improved teamwork can help members and the group reach their goals. Problems include becoming indecisive when unpopular decisions need to be made.

8) Shaper – Thrives on pressure and is happy to challenge others. Brings the necessary drive to the team required to maintain focus and momentum. Could fall out with people if their enthusiasm turns to aggression.

9) Specialist – Once the mission has been put to the team, in-depth, expert knowledge will often be needed. Frequently hired from outside the organisation which may lead to them being isolated from the team and focusing solely on their task not the team goal.

If you do decide that a team development programme involving the Belbin team roles would enable your organisation to higher its standards and move to the next level, there are several places you can look for expert analysis or external help:

• Susan Heathfield is an organization development consultant who can provide expert knowledge for your research and help your companies teams.
• ACAS aim to improve organisations through better employee relations and team dynamics, raising working standards.
• Train in a Day aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your business through team development courses in which training models and strategies are complemented with expert knowledge to instill confidence in working teams, and helping you accommodate the Belbin team roles in your business.

Providing the nine Belbin team roles are filled, projects should be completed effectively and targets met efficiently and punctually. Individuals strengths are utilised fully and their inevitable weaknesses should not harm team progress as they are only putting to use their talents. The weaknesses described in the aforementioned roles are expected in the employees, but team development will continue regardless as long as they fulfill their allocated positions.

Train in a Day can help develop your team using bespoke team building methods and models such as the Belbin team roles, raising employee and team effectiveness. If you feel team development methods shoud be integrated into your organisation, visit traininaday.com for more details.