Belbin Team Roles test

Team-up
by Christian Kelly

“No man is an Island, entire of itself” (John Donne 1571 - 1631) - we all
need the support, encouragement and talents of others to succeed. We also
need to know we can draw on the experience, knowledge, skills and
resourcefulness of other members of our team. Rarely in this business are we
able to fully complete a task alone. We need to be able to rely on others to
provide ideas, keep us on track, recognize the pitfalls, ensure all avenues and
resources are explored and exploited, and that the finished product is of the
highest possible standard.

To achieve all this, we need to utilize all talents available to us - creating

‘synergy’ (co-operative action that produces greater value and effect than the
sum of the individual contributions); sharing responsibility and accountability.

The results of team effort can be very satisfying - getting there can be very
frustrating.

It would help if we clearly understood our own and each others’ preferred way
of working as a team-player. It’s easy to overlook the value of all those taking
part in the achievement of targets and objectives. Think of those working
alongside you (internally and externally) - what are their specific abilities you
have come to admire and rely on and that you normally have to struggle with?
Is it their particular knowledge; their special experience; their eye for detail;
their persistence; organisational ability; calm control under pressure; their
drive and energy; their thoughtfulness and care of others; their clarity of
purpose; their ability to relate to and communicate effectively at all levels; or
perhaps their capacity to consistently provide stunning new ideas?

And what specific traits do you have that set you apart and help you work well
with your team-mates?

In her research at the Henley Management College, Dr. Meredith Belbin

determined that for a team to work effectively, eight roles had to be fulfilled.
These eight roles were not needed in equal measure, nor were they needed
at the same time but if one were missing, the team was unlikely to work as
effectively as it could.
Questionnaire
This questionnaire is developed as a tool to determine your own team role.
There are 7 half sentences that you should finish. Each question you can
divide ten points between the different answers. If you fully recognise yourself
in one of the answers, then you give all ten points to that answer. If you
recognise yourself in more answers, you should divide them according to your
preference; so give the most points to the answer that matches your
behaviour the most and less to those that match your behaviour less. For
example 4 points to b), 5 points to g), 1 point to h), no points to the rest.

Fill out the points in the first table underneath of the questions. As in this
example

Question a b c d e f g h Total
1 0 4 0 0 0 0 5 1 10

1. I gain satisfaction in a job because :

a) I enjoy analysing situations and weighing up all the possible choices

b) I am interested in finding practical solutions to problems
c) I like to feel that I am fostering/promoting good working relationships
d) I can exert a strong influence on decisions
e) I can meet people who may have something new to offer
f) I can get people to agree on a necessary course of action
g) I feel best if I can give a task my full attention
h) I like to find a field that stretches my imagination

2. My characteristic approach to group work is that :

a) I have a quiet interest in getting to know colleagues better

b) I am not reluctant/afraid to challenge the view of others and to hold a
minority view myself
c) I can usually find a line of argument to refute (disprove/challenge)
unsound propositions
d) I think I have a talent for making things work once a plan has to be put
into operation
e) I have a tendency to avoid the obvious and to come out with the
unexpected
f) I bring a touch of perfectionism to any team job I undertake
g) I am ready to make use of contacts outside the group itself
h) While I am interested in all views, I have no hesitation in making up my
mind once a decision has to be made
3. When involved with a project with other people :

a) I have a talent for influencing people without pressuring them

b) My general observance prevents careless mistakes being made
c) I am ready to press for action to make sure the meeting does not
waste time or lose sight of the main objectives
d) I can be counted upon to contribute something original
e) I am always ready to support a good suggestion in the common interest
f) I am keen for the latest in new ideas and developments
g) I believe my capacity for cool judgement is appreciated by others
h) I can be relied upon to see that all essential work is organised

4. My key contribution to a team is:

a) to quickly see and take advantage of new opportunities

b) to work well with a very wide range of people
c) to produce ideas and solutions
d) to draw people out when I detect they have something of value to
contribute
e) to follow through and ensure completion of tasks
f) to ensure tasks are completed, even if it means being unpopular for a
while
g) to spot advantages and disadvantages of methods and situations
h) to provide a reasoned case for alternative courses of action without
bias or prejudice

5. A possible shortcoming (weakness) in team working could be

that:

a) I am not at ease unless meetings are well structured and controlled and
generally well conducted
b) I am inclined to be too generous towards others who have a valid
viewpoint that has not been given a proper airing
c) I have a tendency to talk a lot once the group gets on to new ideas
d) My objective outlook makes it difficult for me to join in readily and
enthusiastically with colleagues
e) I am sometimes seen as forceful and authoritarian if there is a need to
get something done
f) I find it difficult to lead from the front, perhaps because I am over-
responsive to group atmosphere
g) I get easily too caught up in ideas that occur to me and so lose track of
what is happening
h) My colleagues tend to see me as worrying unnecessarily over detail
and the possibility that things may go wrong
6. If suddenly given a difficult task with limited time and unfamiliar
people :

a) I would feel like retiring to a corner to devise a way out of the impasse
before developing a line
b) I would be ready to work with the person who showed the most positive
approach however difficult he might be
c) I would find some way of reducing the size of task by establishing what
different individuals might best contribute
d) My natural sense of urgency would help to ensure we did not fall
behind schedule
e) I believe I would keep cool and maintain my capacity to think straight
f) I would retain a steadiness of purpose in spite of pressures
g) I would be prepared to take a positive lead if I felt the group were
making no progress
h) I would open up discussions with a view to stimulating new thoughts
and getting something moving

7. With reference to the problems to which I am subject when

working in groups :

a) I easily show my impatience with those who are obstructing

progress
b) Others may criticise me for being too analytical and insufficiently
intuitive
c) My desire to ensure that work is properly done can hold up
proceedings
d) I tend to get bored rather easily and rely on one or two stimulating
members to spark me off
e) I find it difficult to get started unless the goals are clear
f) I am sometimes poor at explaining and clarifying complex points that
occur to me
g) I am conscious of demanding from others things I cannot do myself
h) I hesitate to get my points across when I run up against real opposition

Question a b c d e f g h Total
1 10
2 10
3 10
4 10
5 10
6 10
7 10
Now transfer the points into the following table

Question CO SH PL ME IM RI TW CF Total
1 f d h a b e c G 10
2 h b e c d g a F 10
3 a c d g h f e B 10
4 d f c h g a b E 10
5 b e g d a c f H 10
6 c g a e f h b D 10
7 g a f b e d h C 10
Total 70

Add up the points for each teamrole and read the following descriptions. The
text and the questionnaire combined can help you find your favourite
teamrole.
Here is a description of each trait or “team type” :
Resource Investigator - Good at improvising, using many external
contacts. Responds enthusiastically to ideas, suggestions, change and
challenges. Invariably able to contribute to solutions. Highly developed
curiosity. Recognises and takes advantage of opportunities. Tends to be
highly active and outgoing. Keen to research all possibilities and follow-up
innovations or new developments. Enjoys participating in lively discussions.
Sharp, quick mind during planning stages.

Tends to be easily distracted. May lose interest once activities are underway.
Tendency to blur focus and take group off at tangent. May tend to
embrace/foster change for the sake of a new challenge.

Team Worker - Promotes team harmony. Good listener who builds on the
ideas of others. Likeable, sociable and unassertive. Responsive to people
and situations. Sensitive and empathetic to the needs of the team. Adaptable
and flexible. Capable of working well alongside a wide range of characters.
Adopts a positive, supportive approach. Keen to understand what motivates
people and what they require, to ensure good working relationships.

May lack self-confidence. Reluctant to take a leading role. Indecisive in

crises. May be vulnerable to criticism. May appear undemonstrative and
views may be overlooked. May lose sight of main objectives while actively
pursuing comfortable group environment and harmony.

Plant - Imaginative, intelligent and the team’s source of original ideas.

Concerned with fundamentals. Individualistic with an unorthodox approach.
Serious-minded with a wealth of stored knowledge on a wide range of
subjects. Enjoys overturning the obvious and ‘accepted’ methods. Keen to
pursue change and challenges. Seeks new fields to stretch intellect and
imagination. Something of a loner, doesn’t need the stimulus of others.
Prefers to approach problem-solving alone, through careful consideration,
lateral- and strategic-thinking processes.

May find it difficult to communicate, particularly with those less bright or

imaginative. Tends to become caught up in ideas and may lose track of what
is happening. Inclined to disregard practicality or protocol. May become
frustrated and withdraw from the group if he feels others are not readily
accepting his ideas. Has little concept of time restraints or deadlines.
Requires sensitive handling/nurturing to produce best solutions.

Co-ordinator - Co-ordinates team efforts and leads by eliciting respect.

Sets team goals and defines roles. Has a highly developed sense of
objectives. A ready listener. Open minded and fair to all participants. Always
seen as calm and confident, always well controlled. Able to draw people out
and encourage team members to contribute. Ability to influence without
pressure. Interested in all views, but has no hesitation in making decisions.
Provides reasoned arguments. Recognises individual’s particular skills and
quickly establishes how they might most successfully contribute. Effective
team leader. Quick to evaluate situations and respond effectively. Usually
decisive. Pulls the team together and maintains control.
Tends to direct rather than participate. May lose sight of objectives if too
much conflict between team members. May lack creativity, preferring others
to contribute ideas and solutions. Can delay decision-making/problem-solving
by being prepared to hear all views.

Completer/Finisher - Sees projects through. Personally checks details.

Ensures accuracy and validity. Adopts a clear-headed and orderly approach.
Highly methodical and painstaking. Concerned about keeping to schedule
and meeting deadlines. Self-reliant and conscientious. Vigilant and seeks
perfection. Leaves nothing to chance. Dogged, dedicated and determined in
the pursuit of excellence.

Tends to worry about problems. Intolerant of the casual and slapdash. Finds
it difficult to let go having completed a task, in case something has been
overlooked. Seen as unnecessarily fussy and inflexible. Lacks positivity and
enthusiasm. May find it difficult to work on more than one project at a time.
May appear to be over-anxious, and may frustrate some members of the team
by his strict adherence to checking rules and systems.

Shaper - The task leader who brings competitive drive to the team. Makes
things happen. Dynamic and pragmatic. Strategic and lateral thinker.
Provides goals and objectives. Prefers action to talk. Clear headed.
Extrovert temperament. Challenges ideas and assumptions. Determined and
highly self-motivated. Strong belief in own ability and influence. Fast
decision-maker - leaves ‘problems’ to others to sort out. Task-oriented/results
driven.
Can become impatient if progress of the task is obstructed. Becomes irritated
by inefficiency. Works on short fuse. Tendency to hasty, expedient decision-
taking. Risk-taker. Careless of others opinions or views. Usually a powerful
presence who may bully his way through challenges.

Implementer - Turns decisions and strategies into manageable tasks.

Brings logical, methodical pursuit of objective to the team. Uses practical
common sense to determine what is required and how it may be achieved.
Has sound organisational ability. Applies himself diligently to all tasks.
Provides structure and control. Regarded as reliable and conscientious. Has
an aptitude for practical problem-solving and making ideas work. Competent
interpreter - puts others’ ideas into action. Remains capable under pressure.
Ability to motivate others.

Works well on familiar ground but may have difficulty adapting to new and
complex requirements. May lack flexibility if events do not go according to his
plan. Ill at ease in ‘fluid’ situations. Unhappy if goals are unclear.

Monitor/Evaluator - Offers measured, dispassionate critical analysis.

Keeps team from pursuing misguided objectives. Adopts a highly balanced
and prudent approach. Uses careful judgement, based on practical facts and
unbiased reasoning. Takes a totally objective view that will fully identify all
consequences before taking decisions. Remains purposeful and calm in
crisis. Enjoys analysing situations and carefully weighing all possible choices.
Checks reliability and validity of arguments.

Tends to lack imagination and may curb the enthusiasm of other team
members. Inclined to pursue traditional methods, has difficulty accepting
change. May allow over-cautious approach to obscure true objective or delay
action.

Now you know how you prefer to work and where you fit in team situations,
take a look at those descriptions that you identified as being least like you.

Who do you know who closely matches those traits?

Since you can’t do what they do, be a little more charitable next time you’re
working together! Everyone, without exception, has a valuable contribution to
make to the team effort.

* Reproduced by kind permission of Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd and Dr.

Meredith Belbin