Creating a balanced team using Belbin’s Team Roles
Following research at Henley Management College, Dr Meredith Belbin concluded that the most effective teams contain within them a range of nine skills and behaviours, or ‘team roles’. Belbin defines a team role as “a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way”.
The nine Belbin team roles are as follows:
- Plant. An ‘ideas person’.
Thoughtful, creative, brilliant, radical. Better at thinking than communicating, though. Not interested in details. - Co-ordinator. The ‘chairperson’.
A good team captain. Involves all team members and plays a mediator role in discussions. Co-ordinates work rather than does it. - Monitor Evaluator. The ‘critic’.
Evaluates everything carefully, seeing both sides of every argument. Cold and objective. Can be perceived as negative and/or unenthusiastic. - Implementer. A ‘doer’.
A reliable worker who puts ideas into action and gets on with it. May not be very imaginative or flexible. - Completer Finisher. The conscientious details person.
Pays attention to detail and completes the job, ‘dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s’. Can be a worrier. - Resource Investigator. The ‘networker’.
The group’s ambassador and detective, making friends and tracking down information and resources. Initial enthusiasm can fade before the project is completed. - Shaper. The ‘driver’.
Pushes through ideas and keeps projects moving, enjoying the cut and thrust of the action. Can upset others as they do this. - Teamworker. The ‘peacemaker’.
Lubricates the team with diplomacy and helps keep the team working effectively. Everybody’s friend. Can be indecisive. - Specialist. The ‘expert’.
Provides technical or other specialist knowledge to the team. Input is usually restricted to their own specialism.
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