Belbin Team Roles: What are they & how can they improve your team?

Anyone responsible for building a team would have asked themselves at some point in the process ‘What makes a great team?’ It’s an important question to ask but a difficult one to answer. Some suggest that hiring the most skilled and experienced individuals and bringing them together will make a productive and efficient team. But this doesn’t always work as big personalities and egos can clash. 

Understanding the importance of teamwork to the success of businesses, Dr. Meredith Belbin conducted in-depth research and from his findings, he and his team developed the Belbin Team Roles. 

Related: 8 Ways To Cultivate Better Work Relationships

What are the Belbin Team Roles?

Dr. Meredith Belbin, affectionately known as the ‘father of team roles’  is a retired researcher, management consultant and visiting professor at Henley Management College. 

He and his colleagues believe that for a team to be effective, nine roles must be fulfilled. The Belbin team roles are:

From this list, you could think that an effective team has to be made up of nine people. It doesn’t. Most people have two or three Belbin Team Roles that they are comfortable with and prefer doing. Also, a team doesn’t need to contain all nine Belbin Team Roles at once, as what’s needed depends on the team’s objectives and which tasks need completing at that time. 

In addition, ‘roles’ can change over time. So, while someone may be identified as a Plant and Teamworker, over time, from project to project or as the project progresses their role can change. 

As a manager or team leader, following the Belbin Team Roles model will help you to identify the talents of everyone in the team and to understand how you can tap into these to complete tasks and ultimately achieve the team’s goals. 

Belbin Team Roles Explained 

Here’s a breakdown of the nine Belbin Team Roles along with their pros and cons: 

Resource Investigator

They have an inquisitive nature which they use to find new ideas to feed back into the team. 

Pros: Outgoing, enthusiastic and aren’t afraid to delve into opportunities 

Cons: Can be over-enthusiastic and may lose interest once the initial enthusiasm dies down

Teamworker

Highly versatile, they identify the work that needs doing and they complete it on behalf of the team. 

Pros: Good listener, co-operative, has perspective and is diplomatic

Cons: They tend to avoid confrontation and can find it difficult to make a decision in a crunch situation  

Co-ordinator

Their role is to focus on the team’s objectives, engage with team members and to delegate tasks. 

Pros: Confident, good at clarifying goals and identifying talented people

Cons: May come across as manipulative and can find it tempting to pass on their work to others

Plant

Very creative and they like to think outside of the box to solve problems. 

Pros: Good at solving difficult problems, free-thinking, imaginative and creative 

Cons: They can ignore the small details and being inward thinking means they can forget to communicate effectively with the rest of the team

Monitor Evaluator

Highly logical, they play a vital role in the team as they’re able to weigh up the team’s options in an unbiased way. 

Pros: Highly strategic and can logically see and assess all the options

Cons: May at times be overly critical and may lack the drive and energy to motivate others 

Specialist

Is an expert in a key area. 

Pros: Dedicated, self-starting and single-minded, they bring specialist knowledge or skills 

Cons: Can get stuck on technicalities and may not be able to add much outside of their specialist area

Shaper 

A Shaper doesn’t lose focus or momentum, they’re the driving force of the team.  

Pros: Courageous, dynamic, problem-solver and thrives under pressure

Cons: Their actions may cause provocation and the way they express themselves may cause offense 

Implemator 

They play a strategic role in the team so tasks are carried out as efficiently as possible. 

Pros: Organised, reliable and efficient, they turn ideas into actions

Cons: At times they can be inflexible and slow to take up new possibilities 

Complete Finisher 

Their role is to quality check the work carried out and ensure it meets the objectives before sign off. 

Pros: Precise, they search for errors and then polish and perfect the work

Cons: Can be anxious and at times they find it hard to delegate 

Related: How To Answer What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses

3 ways to use Belbin Team Roles to your team’s advantage 

By carrying out an analysis of the ‘roles’ team members can play and what skills are most needed, you’re in a much better place to plug gaps. For example, if you’ve identified your team as being underachieving a Co-ordinator or a Finisher is needed. Or, if you’re putting together a new team a Motivator’s energy and achievement-driven behaviour will bring the team together and motivate individuals to work collaboratively to achieve the team’s goals.

Using the Belbin Team Roles model can also help to place team members into positions that play to their ‘roles’ strengths. For example, Co-ordinators and Shapers can make great leaders. Likewise, if you’re working on a project with a tight deadline the team's performance will be boosted by having a strong Complete Finisher or Shaper. 

The Belbin Team Roles model can also be used to bolster employee engagement. Employees who feel a connection to the company, work with passion and this leads to greater productivity and higher turnover.  Following the Belbin Team Roles model, team leaders can place employees in positions that align with their strengths and in environments that best suit them. For example, a  Shaper may enjoy a lively, fast-paced environment whereas a Monitor Evaluator may prefer space and time to gather their thoughts. 

Related: 8 Common Teamwork Interviews Questions (And Answers)