9 Team Roles for High Performance Teams

Composing a good team is a complex text. After (40) years of study, Dr. Raymond Meredith Belbin designed a nearly ideal team composition. Belbin 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.

Belbin’s team roles are based on a study that examined personality traits, intellectual styles and behaviors within teams. The team roles evolved from the clusters or patterns of these that emerged during the study. The 9 team roles are usually further classified into Action oriented, People oriented, and Thought oriented roles. Given below are the 9 roles outlined in the Belbin team roles model and the descriptions that explain the scope of each role:

Action Oriented Role:

Action oriented roles focus on improving team’s performance, putting ideas into action, and meeting deadlines. The three action-oriented roles are:

Implementer – The implementer’s strength lies in translating the team’s decisions and ideas into manageable and practical tasks or actions.

Shaper (Task Leader) – The shaper’s strength lies in being goal directed. The shaper is a dynamic individual who boldly challenges others during discussions, can handle work pressures and has the courage to overcome obstacles.

Completer/Finisher - The completer/finisher’s strength lies in meticulousness, attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines.

People Skills Oriented Role: 

People oriented roles bring people and ideas together. The three people oriented roles are:

Coordinator - The coordinator’s strength lies in enabling and facilitating interaction and decision making.

Team Worker - The team worker’s strength lies in being a good listener, being collaborative, co-operative, easy going and tactful.

Resource Investigator - The resource investigator’s strength lies in being an extrovert who can develop contacts, communicate well, explore new ideas and opportunities, and bring enthusiasm and drive to the team effort.

Cerebral/Intellectual Role: 

Thought oriented roles analyze options and provide technical expertise. The three cerebral roles are:

Planter - The planter’s strength lies in problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking.

Monitor/Evaluator - The monitor/evaluator’s strength lies in good judgment and good strategic thinking ability.

Specialist – The specialist’s strength lies in being a dedicated and focused individual who likes to learn and constantly build his or her knowledge. The specialist likes to dig deep and is therefore a good resource who can contribute information and knowledge in a team situation.

The team roles identified by Belbin are based on certain patterns of behavior that people exhibit within teams. These patterns of behavior can potentially have an impact on the performance of the team. The basic premise of the Belbin team roles theory is quite simple. When individuals become aware of their own strengths and abilities, and understand the role that he or she is capable of playing within a team, it helps them to deal better with the demands of the team environment.