The apostle Paul believed that diversity is a key to effectiveness in the body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12, he makes clear that diversity is not only essential to the body of Christ, it is by the direct design of the Holy Spirit. This type of diversity is also essential to the effective working of a team. The various team roles as identified in R. Meredith Belbin’s works are helpful to understanding how diversity can be both strengthening and frustrating in the team setting.
Belbin identifies nine roles that emerge in effective teams (Team Roles at Work, 1993 & 2010). As you might imagine, unless these roles are both understood and appreciated, team members will find themselves frequently annoyed at one another.
An individual may fulfill more than one role on a team, and it is possible to change roles. However, as with most things in life, we often find ourselves better suited to one role or another and will by default serve that function if nothing else prods us out of it.
The nine roles identified by Belbin are Resource Investigator, Team Worker, Co-ordinator, Plant, Monitor-Evaluator, Specialist, Shaper, Implementer, and Completer Finisher. As we briefly unpack these roles, think about your team. Who plays which role most often? What functions are missing? How can you develop a deeper value for the various team role?
1. The Plant
The Plant generates ideas, lots of ideas, at a fast and furious speed. In the first edition of his book, Belbin tagged this person as the “Idea Innovator,” a term which seems clearer to me. I like to refer to this person as an Idea Popcorn Popper. Ideas are just flying around like popcorn jumping out of the pan. It is often hard for the rest of the team to keep up. This firestorm of creative ideas generates a lot of forward motion and positive innovation. It can also be overwhelming, disconcerting, and annoying to team members who need to examine ideas more carefully.
2. The Shaper
This makes the role of the Shaper particularly important. The role of the Shaper is to identify viable ideas within the current context of the team. An Idea Innovator is a dreamer and a visionary in the most positive sense of the word, one who sees the rainbow of possibilities from a single stream of light. No team has the financial or personal resources to pursue every good idea that emerges. The Shaper performs a sort of quick triage to evaluate current context, potential resources, and general viability of the ideas. Two or three of the most viable ideas are retained for the team to examine further and possibly implement.
3. The Monitor Evaluator
The Monitor Evaluator is quite valuable in the more extended evaluation process. Monitor Evaluators often ask practical, specific questions about how an idea can be accomplished; what barriers may be encountered; and whether or not the resources or skills are available to fully resource the initiative. They evaluate the probability of success, discover potential pitfalls, and identify weaknesses.
Unless a strong trust-based relationship is established, Idea Innovators will often perceive a Monitor Evaluator to be overly critical, negative, or obstructive while the Monitor Evaluator perceives the Idea Innovator to be impractical, unpredictable and even untrustworthy. This can be overcome by establishing trust and embracing the value of diversity.
4. The Implementer
As the most viable idea emerges, other members of the team begin to shine. Woe is you if you do not have an Implementer on your team. Implementers are practical, organized, usually internally motivated, and thrive on making stuff happen. The Implementer may not be your most people-oriented person on the team. So you’ll need to make sure that they don’t start too soon or undervalue the feelings and input of others.
Implementers who share the vision and have adequate resources can be trusted to lead the team to complete a project successfully. Your constant supervision, intervention, or re-direction will be annoying and perceived as a lack of trust in their competence and abilities.
5. The Resource Investigator
The Coordinator and Resource Investigator are particularly important in marshalling the appropriate resources to accomplish the initiative. Belbin describes a Resource Investigator as a person who is “outgoing, enthusiastic; explores opportunities and develops contacts” (belbin.com). This is the person on your team who is not afraid to ‘make the ask.’ They don’t mind a conversation about financial giving, space sharing, or commitment to volunteer. They figure you’ll never know if you don’t ask.
6. The Coordinator
Once resources have been amassed, the Coordinator plays a more internal role, bringing people, financial, and physical resources together as needed. Coordinators provide good communication and are adept at monitoring and deploying resources effectively.
7. The Specialist
Specialists have a deep knowledge of one or more particular subjects. They often give you more information than you think you need and not nearly as much as they think you need. This can be frustrating for both parties. Find a balance. Draw on their expertise. Rely on their knowledge and experience. Move on when you must. Different members of your team may be Specialists in different areas. Learn to share leadership with them. Let them shine in their area of expertise.
8. The Completer Finishers
Completer Finishers are a type of specialist. One might even apply the term “perfectionist.” Completer Finishers want every detail to be perfect. They want things to look right and be right. Both accuracy and the final appearance of things are important to them. Instead of thinking of them as “nit-pickers” or overly critical or slowing things down, trust them to make you, the team, and the ministry look good.
Completer Finishers will notice the chips in the paint, the stains on the grout, the cheap ink pen that doesn’t write, and the inadequately trained greeter—and so will your guests. Trust your Completer Finishers to make sure a job is done well, and thank them for it.
9. The Teamworker
The Teamworker is at the heart of the team. Without the Teamworker, the efforts of all other members of the team come to naught. Belbin describes the Teamworker as “cooperative, perceptive and diplomatic.” I like to think of this role as a ‘Team Maker.’ Team Makers at their best are attuned to the people dynamics of the team in a way that the Implementer, Shaper, and Idea Innovator often are not.
Do not fall into the trap of thinking of the Teamworker as a less important, less creative and more passive role. On the best of teams, each member will at some point shine in their particular area as the leader, the Innovator or the Shaper while ones who more often serve those roles will be a Teamworker.
By now, you’ve probably recognized a person or two on your team. If they annoy you, take a step back and reflect on what role they are actually serving. Ponder what the team would lose if they stopped filling that role. We all have roles that we are more adept at than others. I’m a lousy Idea Innovator and, frankly, not much of a Specialist in any area. I like to get moving, get organized, and get things done. Over the years I’ve learned that “getting things done” is only one part of an effective team. Truly great teams have learned to embrace and balance all these roles.