The Belbin team-roles

What is a team role?

A team role as defined by Dr Meredith Belbin is:

"A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way."

Belbin team roles describe a pattern of behaviour that characterises one person’s behaviour in relationship to another in facilitating the progress of a team.

The value of Belbin team-role theory lies in enabling an individual or team to benefit from self-knowledge and adjust according to the demands being made by the external situation.

How did the concept originate?

During a period of over nine years, Meredith Belbin and his team of researchers studied the behaviour of managers from all over the world. Managers taking part in the study were given a battery of psychometric tests and put into teams of varying composition, while they were engaged in a complex management exercise. Their different core personality traits, intellectual styles and behaviours were assessed during the exercise. As time progressed different clusters of behaviour were identified as underlying the success of the teams. These successful clusters of behaviour were then given names. Hence the emergence of eight team roles.

BELBIN Team-Role Type	Contributions	Allowable Weaknesses
PLANT	Creative, imaginative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems.	Ignores incidentals. Too pre-occupied to communicate effectively.
CO-ORDINATOR	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-starting, dedicated. Provides knowledge and skills in rare supply.	Contributes only on a narrow front. Dwells on technicalities.

Results from this research showed that there are a finite number of behaviours or TEAM ROLES which comprise certain patterns of behaviour which can be adopted naturally by the various personality types found among people at work. The accurate delineation of these TEAM ROLES is critical in understanding the dynamics of any management or work team.

The self-perception inventory

For each section distribute a total of ten marks among the sentences, which you think most accurately, describe your behaviour. These marks may be distributed among several sentences; in extreme cases they might be spread among all the sentences or 10 points may be given to a single sentence. However try and avoid either extreme. Fill in your points in the answer sheet on page 5.

You should answer the questions after some serious thought but avoid spending too long on any given section. There are seven sections in total.

For each section distribute a total of exactly 10 points between the sentences that you think most accurately describe your behaviour. There are no right or wrong answers. These points may be distributed between several sentences; in extreme cases they might be spread among all the sentences or 10 points may be given to a single sentence. However try and avoid either extreme. Do not allocate more than three sentences with a maximum 10.

Please allocate whole numbers only – no fractions or decimals. Please fill in your points per sentence. If you have no points to allocate to a sentence, please leave the box blank.

Points	Section 1: I gain satisfaction in a job because
	1.0 I enjoy analysing situations and weighing up all the possible choices.
	1.1 I am interested in finding practical solutions to problems.
	1.2 I like to feel I am fostering good working relationships.
	1.3 I can have strong influence on decisions.
	1.4 I have a chance of meeting new people with different ideas.
	1.5 I can get people to agree on priorities.
	1.6 I feel I am in my element where I can give a task my full attention.
	1.7 I can find an opportunity to stretch my imagination.

Points	Section 2: My characteristic approach to group work is that:
	2.0 I maintain a quiet interest in getting to know colleagues better.
	2.1 I am not reluctant to challenge the view of others or to hold a minority view myself.
	2.2 I can usually find an argument to refute unsound propositions.
	2.3 I think I have a talent for making things work once a plan has been put into operation.
	2.4 I prefer to avoid the obvious and to open up lines that have not been explored.
	2.5 I bring a touch of perfectionism to any job I undertake.
	2.6 I like to be the one who makes contacts outside the group or firm.
	2.7 While I am interested in hearing all views I have no hesitation in making up my mind once a decision has to be made.

Points	Section 3: If I am suddenly given a difficult task with limited time and unfamiliar people:
	3.0 I would feel like devising a solution of my own and then trying to sell it to the group.
	3.1 I would be ready to work with the person who showed the most positive approach.
	3.2 I would find some way of reducing the size of the task by establishing how different individuals can contribute.
	3.3 My natural sense of urgency would help to ensure that we did not fall behind schedule.
	3.4 I believe I would keep my cool and maintain my capacity to think straight.
	3.5 In spite of conflicting pressures I would press ahead with whatever needed to be done.
	3.6 I would take the lead if the group was making no progress.
	3.7 I would open up discussions with the view to stimulating new thoughts and getting something moving.

Points	Section 4: What I believe I can contribute to a team:
	4.0 I think I can quickly see end take advantage of new opportunities.
	4.1 I can work well with a very wide range of people.
	4.2 Producing ideas is one of my natural assets.
	4.3 My ability rests in being able to draw people out whenever I detect they have something of value to contribute to group objectives.
	4.4 I can be relied upon to finish any task I undertake.
	4.5 I am prepared to be blunt and out spoken in the cause of making the right things happen.
	4.6 I can usually tell whether a plan or idea will fit a particular situation.
	4.7 I can offer a reasoned end unbiased case for alternative courses of action.

Points	Section 5: If I have a possible shortcoming in teamwork, it could be that:
	5.0 I am not at ease unless meetings are well structured end controlled end generally well conducted.
	5.1 I am inclined to be too generous towards others who have a valid viewpoint that has not been given a proper airing.
	5.2 I have a tendency to talk a lot once the group gets on to a new topic.
	5.3 My objective outlook makes it difficult for me to join in readily end enthusiastically with colleagues.
	5.4 I am sometimes seen as forceful end authoritarian when dealing with important issues.
	5.5 I find it difficult to lead from the front, perhaps because I am over-responsive to group atmosphere.
	5.6 I am apt to get too caught up in ideas that occur to me and so lose track of what is happening.
	5.7 I am reluctant to express my opinions on proposals or plans that are incomplete or insufficiently detailed.

Points	Section 6: When involved in a project with other people:
	6.0 I have an aptitude for influencing people without pressurising them.
	6.1 I am generally effective in preventing careless mistakes or omissions from spoiling the success of an operation.
	6.2 I like to press for action to make sure that the meeting does not lose sight of the main objective.
	6.3 I can be counted on to contribute something original.
	6.4 I am always ready to back a good suggestion in the common interest.
	6.5 I am quick to see the possibilities in new ideas and developments.
	6.6 I believe my capacity for judgement can help to bring about the right decisions.
	6.7 I can be relied on to bring an organised approach to the demands of a job.

Points	Section 7: With reference to the problems I experience when working in groups:
	7.0 I am apt to overreact when people hold up progress.
	7.1 Some people criticise me for being too analytical.
	7.2 My desire to check that we get the important details right is not always welcome.
	7.3 I tend to show boredom unless I am actively engaged with stimulating people.
	7.4 I find it difficult to get started unless the goals are clear.
	7.5 I am sometimes poor at putting across complex points that occur to me.
	7.6 I am conscious of demanding from others the things I cannot do myself.
	7.7 I hesitate to express my personal views in front of difficult or powerful people.

Teamrole sheet

When your finished filling in all the 70 points please copy your points per sentence to the team role sheet:

The highest score(s) on a team role is the team role that fits your best. The suggested tasks for a team role are described her:

Plant:

Should do most problem solving or be responsible for generating new strategies or ideas and proposing solutions to rest of team.

Co-ordinator:

Should be best person to co-ordinate group effort; ensure that everyone has a useful role and team works towards common and agreed goal.

Monitor / Evaluator

Should be responsible for ensuring all worthwhile options are considered; needs a key role in planning; an arbiter in event of controversy.

Implementer

Should be appointed organiser, responsible for procedures and practical steps to be taken once team reaches significant decisions.

Completer / Finisher

Should ensure team's work meets necessary deadlines and conforms to highest standards. Responsible for ensuring no inaccuracies or errors.

Resource Investigator

Should be responsible for developing outside contacts and exploring new opportunities; needs a chance to conduct negotiations but must report back to group.

Shaper

Should be person best suited to overcome obstacles and opposition; create a sense of urgency and ensure that talk is turned into worthwhile action.

Teamworker
Should play a floating role, using versatile qualities to help with features of work that others cannot manage. Should use diplomatic skills to overcome conflict.

Analysetabel voor de zelfperceptietest van BELBIN

	BM	VZ	VM	PL	BO	MO	GW	ZD
I	g	d	f	c	a	h	b	e
II	a	b	e	g	c	d	f	h
III	h	a	c	d	f	g	e	b
IV	d	h	b	e	g	c	a	f
V	b	f	d	h	e	a	c	g
VI	f	c	g	a	h	e	b	d
VII	e	g	a	f	d	b	h	c
totaal