Teamwork and Team Types basic introduction
Consider "Team", what does that word mean to you?
For us, "Team" is any number of people from 2 up to maybe about 20 though that's not a hard rule, charged with a common goal or task and an element of shared responsibility for achieving that task.
Why have "Teams"? Well, simply put, a team can achieve where an individual can't and/or usually in a faster, more efficient and therefore effective way.
So, what's the problem? No easy answer to this! Some groups of people that call themselves a team, simply aren't or at least, they don't achieve the effectiveness that a team should and there are a lot of reasons for this. It is usually helpful to consider the preferred way of team working for each individual member of the team to see if there is a good mix and fit. It's a bit like making a cake, you don't just use eggs or flour or sugar etc, you use a mix of ingredients in the correct proportions depending on what you wish to make!
The best known way of describing the possible mix of styles within a team is called the "Belbin Team Types", developed by Dr Meredith Belbin. A summary of these types is shown below.
For us, "Team" is any number of people from 2 up to maybe about 20 though that's not a hard rule, charged with a common goal or task and an element of shared responsibility for achieving that task.
Why have "Teams"? Well, simply put, a team can achieve where an individual can't and/or usually in a faster, more efficient and therefore effective way.
So, what's the problem? No easy answer to this! Some groups of people that call themselves a team, simply aren't or at least, they don't achieve the effectiveness that a team should and there are a lot of reasons for this. It is usually helpful to consider the preferred way of team working for each individual member of the team to see if there is a good mix and fit. It's a bit like making a cake, you don't just use eggs or flour or sugar etc, you use a mix of ingredients in the correct proportions depending on what you wish to make!
The best known way of describing the possible mix of styles within a team is called the "Belbin Team Types", developed by Dr Meredith Belbin. A summary of these types is shown below.
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Plant
Resource investigator Chairman (later changed to Co-ordinator) Shaper Monitor-Evaluator Team Worker Company Worker (later changed to Implementer) Completer-Finisher Specialist |
Plant's are the creative hub of the team though they can sometimes appear distant while thinking.
Resource Investigators are the team members who always seems to know someone with the knowledge, resources, contacts etc to get the job done. They will frequently be "away" from their desk or office as they seek continuously to increase their contact base. The Co-ordinator primarily concerns themselves with making sure that everyone in the team is involved, has a role, resources and a voice in the decision making process. The Shaper is the fuel that drives the team on. They are energetic and driven and push others to do the best they can. The Monitor-Evaluator looks at the teams work with a dispassionate and critical eye. They will frequently see if the team is veering away from it's task and/or has made a mistake. Team Worker's are the diplomat of the team! They are sensitive to any disharmony and will actively work to resolve problems between team members. This is sometimes seen as slowing the teams work down but long term ensures stability and harmony. The Implementer tries to understand how the ideas and goals of the team can be put into realistic practice. They are pragmatic and sometimes seen as lacking drive for radical ideas. Completer-Finishers push to ensure that deadlines are met, resources not overused and that the "i's" are dotted and the "t's" crossed. They often spot small errors which may lead to delivery times being pushed back. A late addition to the original eight roles is the Specialist, who as the name suggests, brings a specialisation to the team which is required but not currently present. They tend to be single minded and more concerned about their specialisation than the team's work as a whole. |
