“The types of behaviour in which people engage are infinite. But the range of useful behaviours, which make an effective contribution to team performance, is finite. These behaviours could be grouped into a set number of related clusters to which the term ‘Team Role’ is applied”, according to Belbin, ‘Team Roles At Work’. In his research, Belbin found that there are only nine key team roles that facilitate group progress. In addition, he distinguished between a person’s team role, or “cluster of behavioural attributes”, and functional role within an organization, “where the latter refers to the job demand that a person has been engaged to meet by supplying the requisite technical skills and operational knowledge. The significance of the difference is that people appointed to a given job are likely to vary greatly in their Team Role.”

Let’s discuss the nine team roles identified by Belbin, as well as their contributions, weaknesses, and characteristics.

What Are The Nine Team Roles?

Aggregated from ‘Team Roles At Work’, in addition to the 3rd edition of ‘Team Roles At Work’ from Routledge, the nine team roles are: Plant, Resource Investigator, Co-ordinator, Shaper, Monitor Evaluator, Teamworker, Implementer, Completer Finisher, and Specialist.

The Plant

“The main use of a PL is to challenge conventional and established ways of doing things and provide suggested solutions for solving complex problems. PLs are often needed in the initial stages of a project or when a project is failing to progress. PLs have usually made their mark as founders of companies or as originators of new products. However, too many PLs in one team or group may be counter-productive as they tend to spend their time reinforcing their own ideas and engaging each other in combat.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Creative, imaginative, unorthodox, solves difficult problems

Plant Characteristics

“Plants are innovators and inventors and can be highly creative. They provide the source of original ideas to support innovation. Usually they prefer to operate by themselves at some distance from other members of the team, using their imagination and often working in an unorthodox way. They tend to be introverted and react strongly to criticism and praise. Their ideas may often be radical and may lack practical constraint. They are independent, and usually regarded as being clever as a result of their original and radical perspective. They don’t always manage to communicate in a compelling way and offer their ideas in a practical and relevant framework.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Ignores details, too preoccupied to communicate effectively, preoccupation with ideas and neglect of practical matters

Unallowable Weaknesses – Strong ownership of ideas when cooperation with others would yield better results

Plant Phrases & Slogans

• “When a problem is baffling, think laterally.”
• “Where there’s a problem, there’s a solution.”
• “The greater the problem, the greater the challenge.”
• “Do not disturb, genius at work.”
• “Good ideas always sound strange at first.”
• “Ideas start with dreaming.”
• “Without continuous innovation, there is no survival.”

The Resource Investigator

“RIs are good at exploring and reporting back on ideas, developments or resources outside their immediate group. They are the natural people to set up external contacts and to carry out any subsequent negotiations. They have an ability to think on their feet and to probe others for information.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores opportunities, develops contacts

Resource Investigator Characteristics 

“Resource Investigators are usually enthusiastic extroverts. They are natural communicators with people both inside and outside the company. They are natural negotiators and are adept at exploring new opportunities and developing contacts. Although not a great source of original ideas, the RI is effective when it comes to picking up other people’s ideas and promoting them. As the name suggests, they are adept at finding out what is available and from whom. They usually receive a warm reception from others because of their warm outgoing nature. RIs are generally relaxed people with a strong inquisitive sense and a readiness to see the possibilities in anything new. However, unless they remain stimulated by others, their enthusiasm can rapidly fade.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Over-optimistic, loses interest once initial enthusiasm and excitement has passed

Unallowable Weaknesses – Letting clients down by neglecting to follow up on arrangements

Resource Investigator Phrases & Slogans

• “We could make a fortune out of that.”
• “Ideas should be stolen with pride.”
• “Never reinvent the wheel.”
• “Opportunities arise from other people’s mistakes.”
• “Surely we can exploit that?”
• “You can always telephone to find out.”
• “Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.”

The Co-ordinator

“COs are well placed when put in charge of a team of people with diverse skills and personal characteristics. They perform better in dealing with colleagues of near or equal rank than in directing junior subordinates. Their motto might well be “consultation with control” and they usually believe in tackling problems calmly.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Mature, confident, a good chairperson, clarifies goals, promotes decision-making, delegates well

Co-ordinator Characteristics

“The distinguishing feature of Co-ordinators is their propensity for helping others to work towards shared goals. Mature, trusting and confident, they delegate readily. In interpersonal relations they are quick to spot individual talents and to use them in pursuit of group objectives. While COs are not necessarily the cleverest or most senior member of a team, they are likely to have a broad outlook and perspective. The natural goal focus of CO’s can sometimes lead to them manipulating others to achieve their personal objectives. In some situations COs are inclined to clash with Shapers due to their contrasting management styles.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Can be seen as manipulative, delegates personal work, an inclination to be lazy

Unallowable Weaknesses – Taking credit for the effort of a team

Co-ordinator Phrases & Slogans

• “Let’s keep the main objective in sight.”
• “Has anyone else got anything to add to this?”
• “We’d like to reach a consensus before we move forward.”
• “Never assume that silence means approval.”
• “I think we should give someone else a chance.”
• “Good delegation is an art.”
• “Management is the art of getting other people to do all the work.”

The Shaper

“SHs are generally perceived as ideal managers because they generate action and thrive under pressure. They come into their own when quick and decisive action is called for to overcome threats and difficulties or when progress towards goals and objectives is unacceptably slow.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure, has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles 

Shaper Characteristics

“Shapers are highly goal and oriented people with great drive and energy. They push themselves and others and tend to overcome obstacles by sheer determination. They tend to be highly assertive and have very directive management styles. Shapers also tend to be competitive and like to win. They frequently progress upward in organisations because they get results and because many people are impressed by their courageous and decisive leadership style. SHs are not noted for their interpersonal sensitivities and can be argumentative and even aggressive.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Can provoke others, hurts people’s feelings, a proneness to frustration and irritation

Unallowable Weaknesses – Inability to recover a tense situation with good humor and/or apology

Shaper Phrases & Slogans

• “Just do it!”
• “Say ‘no’, then negotiate.”
• “If you say, ‘Yes, I will do it’, I expect it to be done.”
• “I’m not satisfied we are achieving all we can.”
• “I may be blunt, but at least I’m to the point.”
• “I’ll get things moving.”
• “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

The Monitor Evaluator

“MEs are best suited to analysing problems and evaluating ideas and suggestions. They are very good at weighing up the pro’s and con’s of options. In a managerial position their ability to make high quality decisions consistently is likely to make them highly regarded.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Sober, strategic, discerning, sees all options, judges accurately

Monitor Evaluator Characteristics

“Monitor Evaluators are serious-minded, prudent individuals with a built-in immunity for being over-enthusiastic. They are likely to be slow in making decisions preferring to carefully think things over. Usually they have a high critical thinking ability. They have a good capacity for shrewd judgements that take all factors into account. A good ME is unlikely to make intuitive and reckless mistakes. They deal in facts and logic rather than emotion when considering options. They are often regarded as over-critical and can be seen to be slow and boring.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Lacks drive and ability to inspire others, overly critical, skepticism with logic at its core

Unallowable Weaknesses – Cynicism without logic

Monitor Evaluator Phrases & Slogans

• “I’ll think it over and give you a firm decision tomorrow.”
• “Have we exhausted all the options?”
• “If it doesn’t stand up to logic, it’s not worth doing!”
• “Better to make the right decision slowly than the wrong one quickly.”
• “This looks like the best option on balance.”
• “Let’s weigh up the alternatives.”
• “Decision should not be based purely on enthusiasm.”

The Teamworker

“The TW may be legitimately compared to the lubricating oil in a car engine. We don’t always appreciate how important it is until it isn’t there. Because of their ability to be able to resolve interpersonal problems TW’s come into their own when situations are tense and people feel uncared for and not appreciated. They can rise to senior positions because they have few enemies and the fact that they are ready to listen to the views and suggestions of others.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Co-operative, mild, perceptive, diplomatic, listens, builds, averts friction, calms the waters

Teamworker Characteristics

“Teamworkers possess a mild and sociable disposition and are generally supportive and concerned about others. They have a great capacity for flexibility and adapting to different situations and people. TWs are perceptive, diplomatic and caring and tend to be good listeners. Because of these qualities it is hardly surprising that they are popular with their colleagues. Their concern about creating harmony and avoiding conflict can make them indecisive when faced with having to make difficult solo decisions.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Indecisive in crunch situations and/or on crucial issues, can be easily influenced

Unallowable Weaknesses – Avoiding situations that may entail pressure

Teamworker Phrases & Slogans

• “Courtesy costs nothing.”
• “I was very interested in your point of view.”
• “If it’s alright with you, it’s all right with me.”
• “Everybody has a good side worth appealing to.”
• “If people listened to themselves more, they would talk less.”
• “You can always sense a good atmosphere at work.”
• “I try to be versatile.”

The Implementer

“IMPS are valuable in an organisation because of their reliability and capacity for application. They succeed because they are efficient and because they have a sense of what is feasible and relevant. While many people might stray, favouring the tasks they like to do and neglect things they find not to be to their liking, an IMP is more likely to do what needs to be done in a systematic and relentless way.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Disciplined, reliable, conservative, efficient, turns ideas into practical actions

Implementer Characteristics

“Implementers are characterised by their practical approach and possess higher than normal levels of self-control and discipline. They are prepared to work hard to ensure things are done as prescribed in a systematic way. They are typically loyal to the organisation and prescribed and established ways of doing things. They are likely to be regarded as someone who will not seek personal agendas and self-interest. On the downside IMPs may be inflexible in accepting new ways of doing things, particularly if they are radical or impracticable.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Somewhat inflexible, slow to respond to new possibilities, adherence to the orthodox and proven

Unallowable Weaknesses – Obstructing change

Implementer Phrases & Slogans

• “If it can be done, we will do it.”
• “An ounce of action is worth a pound of theory.”
• “Hard work never killed anybody.”
• “If it’s difficult, we do it immediately. If it’s impossible, it takes a little longer.”
• “To err is human, to forgive is not company policy.”
• “Let’s get down to the task in hand.”
• “The company has my full support.”

The Completer Finisher

“The Completer Finisher is invaluable where tasks demand close concentration and a high degree of accuracy. The standards they set make them well suited to situations where precision and high standards are essential. CFs will also demand the same high standards from people around them and therefore create their own micro culture where the only standard acceptable is perfection.” – Belbin

Team Contribution – Painstaking, conscientious, anxious, searches out errors and omissions, delivers on time

Completer Finisher Characteristics

“Completer Finishers have a great capacity for the attention to detail. They constantly strive for perfection and correct errors. CFs are quite introvert and require less external stimulus than most people. The CF can be trusted to do work to the highest standard and to complete it on time. The combination of striving for perfection and meeting deadlines often creates anxiety though and CFs are likely to be reluctant to trust others to do work to their own high standards.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Inclined to worry unduly, reluctant to delegate, can be a nit-picker, perfectionism

Unallowable Weaknesses – Obsessional behavior

Completer Finisher Phrases & Slogans

• “This is something that demands our undivided attention.”
• “The small print is always worth reading.”
• “‘If anything can go wrong it will’, and as O’Toole said on Murphy’s Law, ‘Murphy was an optimist’.”
• “There is no excuse for not being perfect.”
• “Perfection is only just good enough.”
• “A stitch in time saves nine.”
• “Has it been checked?”

The Specialist

“While SPs may not be regarded as natural team players, teams will be wise to engage the SP as a means of providing in depth research. As managers, they command respect because of their in-depth knowledge and they can be used to mentor others to raise their technical expertise.” – Belbin. Gulick & Urwick also mention the importance of specialists: “Organization as a way of coordination requires the establishment of a system of authority whereby the central purpose or objective of an enterprise is translated into reality through the combined efforts of many specialists…” – ‘Papers On The Science Of Administration’

Team Contribution – Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated, provides knowledge and skills in rare supply

Specialist Characteristics

“The Specialist Team Role and the functional title of Specialist is often a cause for confusion. While it is true that both uses of the term may relate to people who are a source of technical knowledge and expertise, the Specialist in Team Role terms has some very specific attributes. Their main distinguishing feature is their love of learning. They see learning and the accumulation of knowledge as the main reason for their existence and their single minded and resolute pursuit of this end is their main motivation. The SP is likely to be recognised by colleagues as an expert to turn to for help and guidance. The SP will usually try to avoid being involved in unstructured meetings and discussions or those of a social nature. They may also be somewhat unyielding when challenged about the validity of their knowledge or field of expertise.” – Belbin

Allowable Weaknesses – Contributes on only a narrow front, dwells on technicalities, overlooks the ‘big picture’, acquiring knowledge for its own sake

Unallowable Weaknesses – Ignoring factors outside own area of expertise

Specialist Phrases & Slogans

• “In this job, you never stop learning.”
• “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
• “True professionalism is its own reward.”
• “My subject is fascinating to me.”
• “The more you know, the more you find to discover.”
• “It is better to know a lot about something, than a little about everything.”
• “A committee is 12 people doing the work of one.”

Thanks for reading!