3.3 THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE A GREAT BOSS: Understanding Team Roles

(EXTRACTION FROM TEAM MANAGEMENT: Team Management Skills at http://www.mindtools.com)

How Understanding Team Roles Can Improve Team Performance

A team is performing at its best when each team member has clear responsibilities.  Often, despite clear roles and responsibilities, a team will fall short of its full potential.  Dr Meredith Belbin studied team-work for many years, and he famously observed that people in teams tend to assume different "team roles."  Team role is defined as "a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way".

Belbin suggests that strengths can be developed and weaknesses can be managed by understanding your role within a particular team.  Teams can become unbalanced if all team members have similar styles of behavior or team roles.  If team members have similar team-work strengths, they may tend to compete rather than co-operate.

BELBIN'S TEAM ROLES Belbin identified nine team roles and he categorized those roles into three groups
1. Action Oriented Roles
Shaper (SH)	o   people who challenge the team to improve o   dynamic and usually extroverted people who enjoy stimulating others, questioning norms, and finding the best approaches for solving problems o   shakes things up to make sure that all possibilities are considered and that the team does not become complacent o   often see obstacles as exciting challenges o   have the courage to push on when others feel like quitting o   potential weaknesses §  argumentative §  may offend people's feelings
Implementer (IMP)	o   people who get things done o   turn the team's ideas and concepts into practical actions and plans o   conservative, disciplined people who work systematically and efficiently and are very well organized o   people who you can count on to get the job done o   potential weaknesses o  inflexible ·     resistant to change
Completer-Finisher (CF)	o   people who see that projects are completed thoroughly o   ensure there have been no errors or omissions o   pay attention to the smallest of details o   very concerned with deadlines o   push the team to make sure the job is completed on time o   perfectionists who are orderly, conscientious, and anxious o   potential weaknesses ·     worry unnecessarily ·     find it hard to delegate
2. People Oriented Roles
Coordinator (CO)	·        take on the traditional team-leader role ·        guide the team to what they perceive are the objectives ·        excellent listeners ·        naturally able to recognize the value that each team members brings to the table ·        calm and good-natured o   delegate tasks very effectively o   potential weaknesses ·     may delegate away too much personal responsibility ·     tend to be manipulative
Team Worker (TW)	·        people who provide support ·        make sure that people within the team are working together effectively ·        role of negotiators within the team ·        flexible, diplomatic, and perceptive ·        tend to be popular people ·        very capable in their own right ·        prioritize team cohesion o   helping people getting along o   potential weaknesses ·     tendency to be indecisive ·     maintain uncommitted positions during discussions and decision-making
Resource Investigator (RI)	·        innovative and curious ·        explore available options ·        develop contacts ·        negotiate for resources on behalf of the team ·        enthusiastic team members ·        outgoing and are often extroverted o   others are often receptive to them and their ideas o   the downside ·     may lose enthusiasm quickly ·     often overly optimistic
3. Thought Oriented Roles
Plant (PL)	·        creative innovator who comes up with new ideas and approaches ·        thrive on praise ·        criticism is especially hard for them to deal with ·        often introverted ·        prefer to work apart from the team ·        can be impractical at times ·        poor communicators ·        tend to ignore given parameters and constraints
Monitor-Evaluator (ME)	·        best at analyzing and evaluating ideas ·        shrewd and objective ·        carefully weigh the pros and cons of all the options before coming to a decision ·        critical thinkers ·        very strategic in their approach ·        often perceived as detached or unemotional ·        poor motivators ·        react to events rather than instigating them
Specialist (SP)	·        people who have specialized knowledge ·        pride themselves on their skills and abilities ·        work to maintain their professional status ·        be an expert in the area o   commit fully to their field of expertise o   limitation ·     preoccupation with technicalities at the expense of the bigger picture