Belbin Team Roles
What are Belbin Team Roles?
Belbin Team Roles is a model designed to identify behavioral strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. This model is not limited to nine people and can change over time. Belbin Team Roles have strengths and weaknesses that need to be identified for effective use. This model can help develop people, resolve conflict, and fine-tune high performance within teams.
What are the 9 Belbin Team Roles?
1. The Shaper
The Shaper is an individual who is highly motivated and driven to success. They have a strong focus on action, and are energetic, brave, and dynamic. Self-control and discipline are important traits for the Shaper role as they are eager to take initiative and stimulate others in order to find solutions that lead to successful outcomes. Their extraverted nature allows them to enjoy questioning norms while their perfectionism ensures that the quality of work is consistently high.
2. The Monitor Evaluator
The Monitor Evaluator is an impartial observer and judge of a team's performance. They have the ability to evaluate options objectively and make quick, effective decisions. They are typically serious in nature and excel at critical thinking and strategic planning, making them ideal for problem-solving. Monitor Evaluators often take on managerial roles due to their strong decision-making skills.
3. The Plant
The Plant Belbin team role is characterized by its creativity and unorthodox approach to problem-solving. They are introverted and have difficulty communicating effectively with others, so they often come up with solutions that disrupt the implementation process. However, these solutions can be instrumental to finding a way forward for the team. Plants must have excellent coordination and communication skills in order to work successfully with other departments and ensure products are produced on time according to specifications.
4. The Resource Investigator
The Resource Investigator role entails the responsibility of proactively seeking out and identifying new resources and opportunities for the team. They are creative, curious and adventure seekers who have natural interpersonal skills that allow them to build and develop contacts. However, they can also be easily distracted which requires them to stay focused in order to fully explore potential options.
5. The Coordinator
A coordinator is expected to be calm, confident and a good listener who is able to understand the needs of their team members. They are also required to provide support when needed and ensure that everyone is on track. Coordinators should be able to help with project management and tracking down information, while at the same time resolving disputes between team members. They must also be tolerant and have a good-natured attitude in order for their teams to work harmoniously together.
6. The Specialist
The Specialist role is a position in the Belbin Team Inventory designed to bridge the gap between development and operations. This role requires excellent communication and coordination skills, as well as an ability to work independently and collaboratively. Specialists are experts in their narrow field, offering valuable insight when tasks require their specialized knowledge. They are passionate about learning and sharing their knowledge with others.
7. The Completer/Finisher
The Completer/Finisher is a perfectionist who sets high standards for themselves and is often introverted, focused on the details of a task, and has strong attention to detail. They are good at performing quality assurance during key stages of projects in order to ensure they are of a high quality and that deadlines are met.
8. The Team Worker
A Team Worker is someone who is helpful, accommodating and keen to ensure team cohesion. They strive to avoid conflict and prioritize team unity over their own performance. Team Workers are usually extroverts with mild, friendly dispositions and are good at solving interpersonal issues and supporting members who may feel neglected. They can be adaptable and versatile when interacting with diverse people, which makes them popular among their colleagues, often leading them to rise to senior positions. Team Workers possess the ability to work cooperatively with other team members while effectively communicating in a clear and concise manner.
9. The Implementer
The Implementer role is responsible for turning ideas into practical actions. They are conservative and reliable, with the main strengths being their practical and dependable nature as well as their ability to create and implement business strategies. The Implementer's responsibilities include turning ideas into actions, organizing workloads, and resisting new ideas. While they may struggle with adopting new concepts or methods of working, this can be overcome with experience.
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