Bill Boyd Guidlines for Teambuilding

Bill Boyd’s

Finding the right fit

To find characters which will be compatible in teams, firms often make use of psychometric tests such as Myers-Briggs or 16PF. Going one step further is Belbin’s Interplace test which identifies actual team roles members are most likely to play. According to research, pioneered by Dr. Meredith Belbin there are 9 common team roles or types:

Co-ordinator	mature, balanced, conservative good as a chair person; "what do you think?"
Plant	clever, innovative,creative, unorthodox; "how about?..."
Shaper	dynamic, great drivers; but may force through their view; "let's do it this way"
Implementer	practical organiser,defines tasks, provides logical path; "What does this mean in practice?"
Resource Investigator	extrovert, outgoing, networker; " I know a man who..."
Monitor-Evaluator	serious, strategic, the thinker of the team; "what's the implication?"
Teamworker	mild, perceptive, accommodating, reliable; "what can I do to help?"
Completer-Finisher	painstaking, careful, conscientious; "It needs to be done properly"
Specialist	single-minded, self-starter, dedicated; "I'll do what I'm good at"

Most people are combinations of the above, though usually with one or two types more dominant. Ideally all types should be present to give the best balance. Be warned, a team with too few types could spell trouble.

too many plants and shapers and no completer-finishers, for example can give great ideas with no result
no teamworkers can mean no glue to pull the team together
too many co-rdinators and no plants can produce conservative rather than creative results

To find out more about Belbin team roles visit Belbin Associates