belbin team roles

Strategic thinking and Results Based Management

Turin, 19-23 June 2006

Working in teams Belbin Team Roles

Session Objectives

By the end of the session, participants:–Are able to interpret their Belbin

profiles–Know each other better–Are aware of possible applications

of the Belbin model in their own teams

Team Role: Belbin’s definition

“A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with

others in a particular way”

Basic Maxims

• Individuals are seldom good at everything

Out-going Organised Motivating

Creative Hard-driving Objective

Diplomatic Meticulous Knowledgeable

Basic Maxims

• Individuals usually have a lot more to contribute than their particular profession or experience may suggest

At work, we have 2 roles:

– Functional role= F (acquired knowledge, professional experience)

– Team role= F (basic capacities, personal characteristics, ability to relate to others)

Basic Maxims

• The effectiveness of a team will depend on the extent to which members correctly recognize and adjust themselves to the relative strengths within the team

Belbin Team Role Expert System

• Belbin - 9 team roles type

• Each type has a typical behavioural strength and a characteristic weakness

9 Team Roles

• Plant

• Resource Investigator

• Co-ordinator

• Shaper

• Monitor Evaluator

• Teamworker

• Implementer

• Completer-Finisher

• Specialist

• Strong ownership of idea when co-operation with others would yield better results

• Looks down on others

• Ignores details• Too

preoccupied to communicate effectively

• Neglects practical matters

• Source of original ideas

• Creative, imaginative, unorthodox

• Solves difficult problems

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

PLANT

• Letting down colleagues/ clients by neglecting to make follow-up arrangements

• Over optimistic• Loses interest

once initial enthusiasm has passed

• Creative negotiator• Extrovert,

enthusiastic, communicative

• Explores new opportunities

• Develops outside contacts and brings home new ideas

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

RESOURCE INVESTIGATOR

• Takes personal credit for the effort of the team

• Can be seen as manipulative

• Delegates personal work

• Inclination to be lazy if someone else can be found to do the work

• The team controller

• Mature, confident, trusting

• Good chairperson – recognises skills

• Clarifies goals, promotes decision making, delegates well

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

CO-ORDINATOR

• Consistently tramples on people’s feelings

• Inability to recover situation with good humor or apology

• Can be provocative

• Sometimes hurts people’s feelings

• Prone to frustration and irritation

• Drives other people to excel

• Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure

• Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable WeaknessesStrengths

SHAPER

• Constant harsh criticism, regardless of people’s feelings

• Sometimes lacking in tact – “these are the facts”

• Inability to inspire others

• Too critical

• The analyser of problems

• Cool, strategic, discerning

• Sees all options• Judges

accurately

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

MONITOR EVALUATOR

• Avoids situations that involve pressure

• Never giving their opinion

• Indecisive in difficult situations

• Easily influenced• Always deferring

to others – “what do you think?”

• Focuses on harmony

• Co-operative, mild, diplomatic

• Listens, builds understanding

• Defuses conflict

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

TEAM WORKER

• Obstructs change• Unwilling to adapt

to changing circumstances

• Inflexible – slow to respond to new situations

• Sticks only to the proven and reliable

• Effective organiser

• Disciplined, reliable, conservative, efficient

• Turns ideas into practical actions

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

IMPLEMENTER

• Always focusing on small details mistakes in a way which de-motivates

• Unnecessarily rushing the planning stage of a project

• Reluctant to delegate and Worries too much

• Perfectionist – “you wont do it the right (my) way”

• Meets deadlines • Guarantees

delivery on time• Conscientious –

notices errors and omissions

• Can be totally relied upon

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

COMPLETER FINISHER

• Does not want to get involved in broader team issues

• “Not my problem” syndrome

• Focuses too much on technical details

• Too theoretical with little concern for how their ideas link to the big picture

• “The expert”• Single minded,

self starting, dedicated

• Provides knowledge and skills in short supply

Non Allowable Weaknesses

Allowable Weaknesses

Strengths

SPECIALIST

Action-oriented roles

People-oriented roles

Cerebral roles

SHAPER, IMPLEMENTER & COMPLETER FINISHER

CO-ORDINATOR, TEAMWORKER, RESOURCE INVESTIGATOR

PLANT, MONITOR EVALUATOR & SPECIALIST

MONITOREVALUATOR - judges impartially

TEAM ROLE OPPOSITESTEAM ROLE OPPOSITES

SPECIALIST - specifies

RESOURCEINVESTIGATOR -recognises opportunities

IMPLEMENTER - applies

TEAMWORKER - supports

COMPLETERFINISHER -perfects establishedsystems

CO-ORDINATOR - generalises

PLANT -theorises

SHAPER -drives

What & How

• Self-perception inventory

• Database generates:– Team role preferences– Counselling report– Character report– Team reports

• Observer assessments– 4 per participant– Generates a complete profile

The UN System and Team Roles

• UNSSC - 3,000+ UN staff in the database

• Your profiles are generated against this multicultural UN data

• Your profile can change over time depending on your job

• It’s up to you to validate your report

INDIVIDUAL REPORTS

Assessment Results in Rank Order

Pie Charts of Self-Perception Versus Observers

Self Perception Team Role Profile

Bar Graph of Observer Words

Counselling Report

Character Profile

List of Observer Responses

Personal Work Style

Team Roles Nicknames

TEAM ROLE PAIR

NICKNAME TEAM ROLE PAIR

NICKNAME

PL – RI EXPLORER CO – TW COUNSELLOR

PL – CO NAVIGATOR CO – CF EDITOR

PL – SH MAVERICK CO – SP PROJECT LEADER

PL – ME BRAINS SH – ME INQUISITOR

PL – IMP ARCHITECT SH – IMP TASK MASTER

PL – TW HIDDEN TALENT SH – TW TEAM CAPTAIN

PL – CF SCULPTOR SH – CF PURSUER

PL – SP PROFESSOR SH – SP STEAMROLLER

RI – CO FACILITATOR ME – IMP PLANNER

RI – SH DYNAMO ME – TW TEAM CONSCIENCE

RI – ME DETECTIVE ME – CF CORRECTOR

RI – IMP SCOUT ME – SP CALCULATOR

RI – TW COMMUNICATOR IMP – TW CONFORMER

RI – CF CONTRACTOR IMP – CF DOER

RI – SP BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR IMP – SP MR FIX IT

CO – SH BOSS TW – CF EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

CO – ME JUDGE TW – SP TECHNICAL SUPPORT

CO – IMP ORGANISER CF – SP REFINER

Uses and Benefitsof Belbin’s Team Role Analysis

1) Individual Profiles Team role preferences, Job placement and career discussion The gap between self perception and the views of others Job counseling for more effective use of skills in team Tapping unused team talent Helps identify training and development needs

Uses and Benefits of Belbin’s Team Role Analysis

2) Team Profiles Teambuilding to make better use of teams resources Putting together project teams Feedback on effectiveness prior to making team selection Identifying team deficiencies Conflict resolution Relationship building

SPIRITSPIRIT DYNAMIC INTERACTION TOGETHERNESSPERSECUTION OFOPPONENTS

TEAMTEAM GROUPGROUPSIZESIZE LIMITED MEDIUM or LARGE

SELECTIONSELECTION CRUCIAL IMMATERIAL

LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP SHARED or ROTATING SOLO

PERCEPTIONPERCEPTION MUTUAL KNOWLEDGE FOCUS ONUNDERSTANDING LEADER

STYLESTYLE ROLE SPREAD CONVERGENCECO-ORDINATION CONFORMISM

6 Differences team/group