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:
1. Plant. An 'ideas person'. Thoughtful, creative, brilliant, radical. Better at thinking than communicating,
though. Not interested in details.
2. 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.
3. Monitor Evaluator. The 'critic'. Evaluates everything carefully, seeing both sides of every argument.
Cold and objective. Can be perceived as negative and/or unenthusiastic.
4. Implementer. A 'doer'. A reliable worker who puts ideas into action and gets on with it. May not be very
imaginative or flexible.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Teamworker. The 'peacemaker'. Lubricates the team with diplomacy and helps keep the team working effectively.
Everybody's friend. Can be indecisive.
9. Specialist. The 'expert'. Provides technical or other specialist knowledge to the team. Input is usually
restricted to their own specialism.
Note: This web page is not intended to provide comprehensive coverage of the subject, merely a brief introduction to provoke thought and to lead to a more in depth understanding and application of the topic, either through further reading - or from me as your management consultant, business adviser, executive trainer or personal coach in a consultancy project, training course, workshop or seminar.
References and Further Reading
Belbin, R M. The Coming Shape of Organisation. Butterworth-Heinemann. 1998
Katzenbach, J R and Smith D K. The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance Organisation