In today’s collaborative world, a well-rounded team is not just an asset; it’s a necessity. The secret to a successful team lies not only in the individual skills each member possesses but also in their ability to work effectively together. One tool that helps us understand and manage team dynamics is Belbin’s Nine Team Roles.

The Nine Team Roles model was developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin. It identifies key roles individuals play in a team and explains how a balanced team can thrive —grow or develop well or vigorously.

The roles fall into three categories:

  • Action-Oriented Roles
  • People-Oriented Roles
  • Cerebral Roles

Action-Oriented Roles

These roles are filled by individuals who are dynamic, disciplined, and have a knack for getting things done.

  1. Shaper: Shapers relish—enjoy greatly—challenges and thrive under pressure.
  2. Implementer: Implementers are conservative and disciplined, turning ideas into practical solutions.
  3. Completer Finisher: Completer Finishers are individuals who ensure no errors occur and deliver on time.

People-Oriented Roles

People in these roles are excellent at communicating, mediating, and fostering cooperation within the team.

  1. Co-ordinator: Known for their confidence, Co-ordinators excel at clarifying goals and delegating tasks.
  2. Teamworker: Teamworkers are cooperative and great at defusing—reducing or preventing the intensity of—friction—conflict or disagreement—which helps maintain harmony within the team.
  3. Resource Investigator: Resource Investigators are extroverted and enthusiastic, excelling at developing contacts and exploring opportunities.

Cerebral Roles

These roles require a more significant amount of strategic and specialized thinking.

  1. Plant: Plants are creative and free-thinking, coming up with solutions to complex problems.
  2. Monitor Evaluator: Monitor Evaluators are able to view all options and make accurate judgements, aiding in decision-making.
  3. Specialist: Specialists are single-minded and dedicated, providing knowledge or skills that are in rare supply, crucial for the team’s success.

When putting a team together, it’s important not to dwell on—spend too much time thinking about—personal likes and dislikes, but rather consider what each individual can bring to the team. Also, it’s worth noting that we are all inclined—have a tendency—to play more than one role within a team, so it’s about finding balance.

Effective teams are those that excel—are exceptionally good—at recognizing and appreciating these different roles. In doing so, they can harness the strengths of each team member and minimize the weaknesses.

Understanding these roles can lead to more effective communication, reduced provocation—action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately—and increased productivity. By recognizing and validating these roles, you’re not just creating a team—you’re fostering an environment where everyone’s contribution is valued.

As a parting thought, remember this: The aim is to create a team that works well together, not just a group of successful individuals. So, let’s take a cerebral—related to the brain or intellect—approach to team building and create an environment where everyone can succeed.

Vocabulary

Thrive: Grow or develop well or vigorously.

Relish: Enjoy greatly.

Friction: The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another. In a team context, it refers to conflict or disagreement.

Excel: Be exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject.

Dwell on: Think, speak, or write at length about a particular subject, especially one that is a source of unhappiness, anxiety, or dissatisfaction.

Incline: Have a tendency to do something.

Provocation: Action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately.

Cerebral: Of the cerebrum of the brain. In a wider context, it can mean intellectual or requiring thought and understanding.