This approach enables an individual or team to benefit from self-knowledge and adjust behaviour according to the demands being made by the external situation. The team roles describe a pattern of behaviour that characterises one person's behaviour in relationship to another in facilitating the progress of a team. The 9 team roles are summarised in the table below. However, when used wisely to gain insight about the working of the team and identify the team strengths and weaknesses it can be extremely useful.īelbin describes a team role as 'a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.' There are 3 action oriented roles - Shaper, Implementer and Completer Finisher 3 people oriented roles - Co-ordinator, Teamworker and Resource Investigator and 3 cerebral roles - Plant, Monitor Evaluator and Specialist. Has been criticised due to it's potential oversimplification and 'pigeon-holing' of individuals. The team roles were designed to define and predict potential success of management teams, recognising that the strongest teams have a diversity of characters and personality types. Developed by Meredith Belbin in 1981, following nine years of study and has become one of the most accessible and widely used tools to support team building.
