Belbin Team Roles for Success

The 9 Belbin Team Roles for Success

What are the roles of the Belbin team? For an organization to be successful, it needs clearly defined roles and responsibilities from top to bottom. In this article, we offer a way to view these roles through the prism of the Belbin Team Role Model.

The most important facts
– Belbin’s team role theory helps to identify each employee’s personal strengths and weaknesses and to define the roles in which they can best develop.

– Belbin’s theory defines nine team roles, divided into three categories: action-oriented, thought-oriented and people-oriented.

– Identifying each member’s strengths and weaknesses is a process of reflection, self-assessment and discussion undertaken by the employee.

What is a team role?
According to British psychologist Meredith Belbin, who developed the Belbin team role theory, team roles are behavioral patterns that influence how employees contribute to the workplace and relate to others. This determines how the individual’s contributions to the group further the organization’s key goals. These roles allow employees to leverage their strengths in the workplace. Implementing the theory also ensures a healthy balance between the different roles, which in turn compensates for possible weaknesses. In addition, it clarifies who is responsible for what and who they should consult to solve certain problems.

What is meant by Belbin Team Roles?
Belbin Team Roles identifies the strengths and weaknesses of behaviors and assigns them to one of nine roles to improve teamwork.

What are the nine Belbin team roles?
Belbin theory defines nine different roles, each of which falls into one of three categories: action-oriented, person-oriented, or thought-oriented.

Above all, action-oriented team members try to complete assigned tasks on time and with the expected quality. People-oriented employees build relationships and use that support to deliver the best work possible, while thought-oriented team members design innovative solutions to complex problems.

1.Action-Oriented Shaper
The Shaper (SH) maintains the momentum of a project. Your drive to reach the next milestone motivates the team to do their best and meet the deadlines. People who fall into this role are usually extroverted, able to express their opinions well and have a positive demeanor. They can remain calm under pressure and encourage their team to do the same. However, their outspoken nature can lead to conflict if they say something another team member doesn’t want to hear.

2.Action-oriented implementer
Implementers (IMPs) are skilled at turning plans into actionable steps. You take responsibility for a project, act as its driving force and define the practical aspects of achieving the next milestone. Team members who fall into this role are often the most reliable and organized in a group. While they are often efficient at planning, their desire to organize the group’s efforts can lead to inflexibility when confronted with new ideas.

3.Action-oriented complete finisher
The “Complete Finisher” (CF) focuses on ensuring that the end result of the project is of the highest possible quality, correcting errors and checking for accuracy. Detail-oriented people are often found in this role. Like the shaper, the CF drives the team to reach the finish line so that momentum is not lost in the home stretch.

These employees are often meticulous and pay attention to the quality of even the smallest details. However, this worry can develop into an anxiety that causes them to look for faults for much longer than necessary. This worry also makes them hesitant to accept help when it is needed.

4.People-oriented coordinator
Coordinators (COs) are team leaders who manage team members and figure out how to best use their skills. You create a balance between achieving project goals and ensuring that all team members feel comfortable and supported. COs delegate tasks to ensure everyone can do their best work.

As a rule, confident and good-natured employees become coordinators. You remain calm in stressful situations and can make informed decisions in a very short time. However, leadership can seem too strong if done poorly, and some coordinators abuse their authority to avoid doing their part of the job.

5.People-oriented team worker
A team worker (TW) focuses on the interpersonal relationships within the group. However, the project result is of secondary importance for the person in this role; the first priority is maintaining good group cohesion. A teamworker contributes significantly to a cooperative atmosphere within the group, which means that everyone’s opinions are respected and their needs are taken into account.

Caring and caring people who are sensitive to the needs of others often end up in this role. Their empathy allows them to identify and mediate problems before they escalate into larger problems. However, their preference for diplomatic solutions causes them to be non-confrontational and indecisive in tense situations.

6.People-oriented resource investigator
A resource investigator (RI) is often a team’s primary researcher, evaluating a situation from all angles. He is often the most independent role within the group, seeking information from outside sources and bringing what he has learned back to the group.

RIs are often extroverted and knowledgeable about various work-related topics. Their research is fueled by their passion for the project and their desire to see it through. However, your enthusiasm can quickly wear out and affect productivity.

7.Thought-oriented plant
The Plant (PL) in your group is the most creative and the main source of new ideas. She can look at problems from all angles and design unconventional, innovative solutions. These solutions may not be perfect, but they always jump-start the group’s brainstorming process.

In general, PLs are imaginative free spirits, able to solve problems with answers that others may not have thought of. However, they tend to get caught up in their own train of thought and cannot take budget or staffing constraints into account.

8.Thought-Oriented Monitor-Evaluator
The Monitor-Evaluator (ME) is an impartial employee who draws objective conclusions about the project based on analysis. These team members report on project progress and what the team can achieve.

MEs are often reserved, but listen carefully to the group to gather information and provide reasoned answers. Because many of their emotional reactions are directed inward, they can remain calm even in stressful situations. However, their calm demeanor is not necessarily inspiring, especially if their analysis of the group is too critical.

9.Thought-oriented specialist
Specialists (SPs) have a high level of knowledge in a project-related area. Unlike the other roles, a specialist is often brought in from outside the immediate team. By its nature, people who fall into this role often have great insight into their chosen niche and can offer valuable insight to the team. However, due to their specialization, they can only contribute to the team’s success in one way.

What are the benefits of Belbin Team Roles?
Using Belbin team roles can have a long-term positive impact on the health of your company and the efficiency of your team. Below are some benefits you can expect if you decide to adopt the theory such as:

• Better team productivity. Belbin Team Roles prepares every team member for success by setting them up for success from the start. Taking their skills into account also helps increase motivation, resulting in a more effective team.
• Better teamwork. Belbin’s theory helps each team member better understand their colleagues. This insight makes it easier for the group to work toward a common goal because they can capitalize on every strength and compensate for every weakness.
• More efficient use of personal skills. Assigning team members to predefined roles makes it easier for managers to assign tasks to the right people. Additionally, the group can use this knowledge when they encounter an obstacle, knowing which team member is best to turn to for a solution.

What are the disadvantages of the Belbin team roles?
Although Belbin theory offers many benefits, it is not suitable for every business. Some notable disadvantages are:

• Oversimplifies team dynamics. Belbin team roles do not take into account the nuances within a group. Some team members demonstrate an affinity for two roles, while other employees’ skills may evolve over time, making them better suited to a different role. Belbin doesn’t provide much guidance for dealing with either scenario.
• It cannot be applied to every project. The nine roles in Belbin’s theory are relatively rigid and therefore do not always fit perfectly. It also does not take into account the individual differences that can affect team dynamics on different projects.
• Bias can influence role assignment. A team’s strengths and weaknesses are usually assessed through a self-assessment to assign each member their role. This is prone to personal bias as employees overestimate or underestimate their abilities.

How to use Belbin Team Roles
Honest self-reflection and discussion are key to successfully applying Belbin’s theory of team roles. Your team members must explain their strengths and weaknesses so that they can be assigned to a role. Even if not every role needs to be filled, you should aim for a balance between action-, thinking- and people-oriented positions. There are four steps to getting this information from your team:

1. If you have a large group, divide the members into teams of equal size, but leave a smaller group together.
2. Each team should draw a circle and divide it into nine sections corresponding to team roles. Then members write their names in the segments for their first two roles.
3. Then have members of each group discuss their strengths and weaknesses and note how they compare to their peers.
4. Finally, have them use the information they gathered to strategize how the team can best support each other throughout the project.

Frequently asked questions about the Belbin Team Roles
What are Belbin’s nine team roles?
The nine team roles of Belbin’s theory are:

1. Shaper (SH)
2. Implementer (IMP)
3. Complete-finisher (CF)
4. Coordinator (CO)
5. Team Worker (TW)
6. Resource Investigator (RI)
7. Plant (PL)
8. Monitor-Evaluator (ME)
9. Specialist (SP)

What are the three categories of Belbin roles?
The nine roles are divided into three categories:

• Action-oriented, related to work
• Thought-oriented, related to ideas
• People-oriented, related to interpersonal relationships

Are all team roles needed at all times?
No. The active roles should be relevant to the group’s goal.

How do you find the right employee for the right Belbin team role?
The team conducts a self-assessment that identifies employees’ strengths and weaknesses and matches them to the role they are best suited for.

Find out where your team can thrive
Organization and communication are crucial to building a successful team. The better a group of people understand each other and how they contribute to the team process, the more productive they are in practice.

Belbin’s team roles are designed to clearly define each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and connect them to specific roles that identify their responsibilities.

Applying this theory promotes understanding between individual team members and helps create a collaborative environment in which everyone thrives.