
However, a Completer-Finisher may worry unnecessarily, and may find it hard to delegate. They're described as perfectionists who are orderly, conscientious and anxious. They're very concerned with deadlines and will push the team to make sure that the job is completed on time. They ensure that there have been no errors or omissions, and they pay attention to the smallest of details. Completer-Finisher (CF)Ĭompleter-Finishers are the people who see that projects are completed thoroughly. On the downside, Implementers may be inflexible and can be somewhat resistant to change. These are the people that you can count on to get the job done. They're typically conservative, disciplined people who work systematically and efficiently and are very well organized. They turn the team's ideas and concepts into practical actions and plans. Implementers are the people who get things done.

Their potential weaknesses may be that they're argumentative, and that they may offend people's feelings. Shapers often see obstacles as exciting challenges, and they tend to have the courage to push on when others feel like quitting. The Shaper is the one who shakes things up to make sure that all possibilities are considered and that the team doesn't become complacent. They're dynamic and usually extroverted people who enjoy stimulating others, questioning norms, and finding the best approaches for solving problems. Shapers are people who challenge the team to improve. Now, let's look at each role in more detail. The nine team roles are summarized in figure 1, below. As with any behavioral weakness, these are areas to be aware of and potentially improve. He called the characteristic weaknesses of team roles the "allowable" weaknesses. Each team role is associated with typical behavioral and interpersonal strengths.īelbin also defined characteristic weaknesses that tend to accompany each team role. Understanding Belbin's Team Roles Modelīelbin identified nine team roles, and he categorized those roles into three groups: Action Oriented, People Oriented, and Thought Oriented. Research shows that teams with mixed roles perform better than those that are "unbalanced" due to an overrepresentation of certain roles. With the model, you can make sure that necessary team roles are covered, and that potential behavioral tensions or weaknesses among team members are addressed. Team leaders and team-development practitioners often use the Belbin model to help create more-balanced teams. If team members have similar teamwork strengths, they may tend to compete (rather than cooperate) for the team tasks and responsibilities that best suit their natural styles.īelbin suggests that, by understanding your role within a particular team, you can develop your strengths and manage your weaknesses as a team member, and so improve how you contribute to the team. If team members have similar weaknesses, the team as a whole may tend to have that weakness.

Teams can become unbalanced if all team members have similar styles of behavior or team roles.
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In this article and video, developed in association with, we'll explore each of the nine team roles and demonstrate how to use the model to harmonize your team.Ĭlick here to view a transcript of this video.

Or perhaps one team member becomes frustrated because they disagree with the approach of someone else on the team.ĭr Meredith Belbin studied teamwork for many years, and he famously observed that people in teams tend to assume different "team roles." He defined a team role as "a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way," and named nine such team roles that underlie team success. Perhaps others are not quite flexible enough, so things "fall between the cracks." Maybe someone who's valued for their expert input fails to see the wider picture. How often does this happen in the teams you work with? Perhaps some team members don't complete what you expect them to do.
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Just as importantly, you'll see that every role needed to achieve the team's goal is being performed fully and well.īut often, despite clear roles and responsibilities, a team will fall short of its full potential. When a team is performing at its best, you'll usually find that each team member has clear responsibilities.
