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Super models

By Dr Mike Clayton (July 2008 Issue)
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It takes all sorts. That’s what trainers and coaches constantly remind our participants. But this is never more so than in the context of team working.

Meredith Belbin has defined perhaps the most widely used set of team roles. He discovered nine roles through a series of business games amongst managers, which he and his colleagues observed at Henley Management College in the 1970s.

Originally, Belbin defined eight roles – his current publications include a ninth and have renamed two of the original ones. His conclusion is that we each adopt one or more roles and that successful teams have a balance of all nine.

I only have space here to give the briefest sketch of the nine roles – enough to give you a sense, but not to be relied upon.

The Co-ordinator naturally adopts an inclusive leadership role, drawing upon and drawing out the talents of other team members.

Shapers also like to take the lead, and do so with a clear vision of what they want and how to achieve it.

The Plant is a fertile source of ideas, often from the left field.

Team Workers crave harmony. They seek to pour oil over troubled waters; constantly looking after the interests of their colleagues, possibly at the cost of their own.

If the team is discussing a topic and someone is missing, chances are it’s the Implementer. Only really happy when getting on with something, they are the team’s powerhouse of progress.

It is the Monitor Evaluator who protects the team from costly mistakes. They are constantly aware of what the team is up to and how it compares with standards.

Do we need the keys from the stationery cupboard after hours? Do we need to find someone with a particular skill? Don’t worry, the Resource Investigator will be right on it.

The Completer Finisher will make sure every last detail is attended to.

Finally, there’s the Specialist, who is only really happy when working in their area of expertise.

Over the years, Belbin’s work has received much criticism from academic researchers. He defends it robustly, stating clearly that his profiles are not a psychometric tool but a support to organisational consulting. Whoever is right, Belbin team roles are in rude health and likely to continue to be widely used for the foreseeable future.

References:

1. Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail, R Meredith Belbin, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003

Dr Mike Clayton founded Thoughtscape to offer coaching, training and facilitation, with a focus on managing and leading in the context of change. He can be contacted at mike@thoughtscape.net.

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