Characteristics of effective teams / team roles - Belbin

factors affecting effectiveness

• structure

  • team size

  • team roles

  • group procedures

• objectives

  • nature of the task

  • clarity of the task

  • shared purpose

• members

  • sense of belonging

  • communication between team members

  • dependency between team members

Team size (larger team)

According to Belbin, an effective team should consist of 4-6 team members, with anything larger containing subgroups.

advantages:

• a range of skills and experience available from different members

• many members to split work down into many tasks

disadvantages:

• difficult to supervise a larger group

• communication problems can arise

• members may feel left out

• limits contributions from members

• lengthier decision making

Team size (smaller teams)

easier to supervise and keep all members informed. However there is a limited pool from which knowledge, skills, experience and ideas can be drawn from. In addition, there is a risk of one person dominating the team.

Team roles - Belbin

• co-ordinator

• plant

• implementer

• team worker

• completer-finisher

• resource investigator

• shaper

• specialist

• monitor-evaluator

Co-ordinator

Creates common purpose, focuses on the objectives and makes decisions. A good listener and judge of character, who can get the best out of people. Effective at delegating work appropriately and keeping the team focused.

• self-confident

• mature

• good communicator and listener

• natural motivator to others

• demonstrates leadership ability

Plant

Every team should have this type of person as they are a source of original and innovative ideas who are proficient at solving problems in unconventional ways. However this person may be introvert and a poor communicator.

• creative

• organised

• analytical skills

• good at anticipating problems

• can offer solutions to resolve issues

• thinks out the box

Implementer

This person is capable of turning ideas into action and is very stable and practical. They are disciplined but prone to being inflexible and need persuading of an idea’s validity before proceeding.

• eager to get results and succeed

• ability to encourage others

• dedicated

• enthusiastic

• focused on actions

• not easily distracted

Team Worker

A versatile and perceptive member able to identify problems and promotes harmony within the group. Tends to avoid confrontation and decision making that may cause conflict. This person contributes humour and eases tension. Very popular at promoting harmony within the team.

• good at supporting others

• an effective coach/mentor

• strong negotiator

• interpersonal skills

• flexible skillset

Completer-finisher

Most effective at the end of a task ensuring quality control, this person is unlikely to delegate but is very conscientious and an unassertive introvert. They search out errors and omissions, scouring the small print in order to be thorough.

• pays close attention to detail;

• meticulous and thorough

• excellent planner

• highly committed

• diligent worker

• self-motivated

Resource Investigator

This person provides information on opposition and gathers new ideas and information for outside the company. They inspire, develop ideas and bring in new contacts to assist as required. They are normally very enthusiastic at the beginning but tend to lose interest as time progresses.

• good investigation skills

• overly optimistic

• ability to network

• resourceful

• current with trends

Shaper

Task-oriented, thrives on pressure and is likely to overcome obstacles, albeit at the expense of other team members feelings. They enjoy challenges and are dynamic and outgoing people. Other team members could criticise this person for being manipulative.

• ability to rally others

• may cause conflict

• determined

• relishes a challenge

• copes well with stress

Specialist

Offers specialist knowledge or skills that are needed by the team. They tend to be single-minded and narrow in outlook. The value of the team member with a specialist understanding is critical in some situations.

• expert contribution

• highly competent

• limited value

• strong problem solving ability

Monitor-evaluator

This person is a critic with the ability to analyse issues and highlight the negative, making them useful for quality control. They tend to not suggest new ideas but can identify the options available and the strengths and weaknesses of them. They tend to lack warmth and the ability to inspire others but are stable and intelligent.

• logical in approach

• makes impartial judgements

• objective

• ability to evaluate options

• critical thinking ability

Team effectiveness factors

• group processes and procedures

• nature of the task

• clarity of the task

• shared purpose

• team members

• team building

• team conflict

Group processes and procedures

For the team to be successful there are a number of task and maintenance processes that need to carried out.

task:

Task procedures are about achieving the team’s goals and getting through the work. These procedures offer guidance on the systematic way tasks should be completed.

• identify the goals of the team

• gather information on how to achieve the goal

• analyse the information and devise possible actions

• consult team members to discuss best options

• evaluate the effectiveness of the team

Maintenance:

once the task is underway the team needs maintained to ensure it continues to run smoothly.

• encourage and praise team members to motivate them

• an open-door policy should be used to encourage dialogue

• regular tam meetings to aid communication

• monitor and controlling of the resources and budget

• supervise team members to ensure all are on task

• review the ongoing activity of the team

Nature of the task

The type of task to be carried out by the group should determine the type of group that is formed

• large groups are often unsuitable for problem solving as it is difficult to encourage discussion, creativity and even involvement across many members

• large groups are better for tasks which involve dissemination of information

Team effectiveness is often affected by the task being faced, for example, how clearly structured the task is, how challenging and whether the team believe in it or not. This is linked to the resources the team is given to do the job and whether the team have been involved in agreeing these things. The clearer the task and the more involved the members feel, the more effectively the team will work.

Clarity of the task

If tasks are clear and unambiguous a group can operate in a more structured way. A precise task will help the group through the forming and norming stages of group development. However there are many occasions when the solution to an aspect of work is not known and it is left to the group to develop a suitable solution which is undefined.

Shared purpose

Each team member must clearly understand the team’s work and the role of each individual. Where team members are unclear about what is required, teams are less likely to be effective.

Team members

Teams need to be given the right environment to be able to work together which includes being sited together in the workplace and being given opportunities to take part in activities both inside and out of the workplace, which develop their relationship as a team. Virtual teams need to be brought together every now and then to maintain relationships and their feeling of identity.

Team members - sense of belonging

strategy for management:

• allocate clear team roles

• arrange team building activities

• allow informal relationships to develop

• consult the relevant people

• delegate appropriately

Team members - communication between team members

• arrange regular meetings

• upload information to the firm’s intranet

• use a noticeboard

• visual planning e.g. gantt chart

• appoint an effective team leader

• minimise conflict within the team

• regular reporting/documenting

Team members - dependency between team members

• allow sub-groups to develop

• create accountability within the team/set remits

• arrange peer working and peer evaluation

• mixed quality circles to evaluate the team work

• specialisation and division of labour

Team building

Organisation often try to improve the productivity and motivation of people working in groups by developing their informal relationships either within or out with the workplace. The planned, systematic process designed to improve the efforts of people who work together to achieve goals is known as team building.

Team building is based on the idea that before organisations can improve performance, group members must be able to work together effectively.

Team building exercises helps group members:

• develop trust

• open up communication channels

• make sure everyone understood the goals of the group

• help individuals make decisions with the commitment of all members

• prevent the leader form dominating the group

• examine and resolve conflicts

• review work activities

Intergroup Conflict

Intergroup conflict is conflict between other teams in an organisation.

Causes of conflict:

• competition for limited resources

• differing perceptions about the organisation’s goals

• loyalty to members of the team

• attempts by one group to dominate another group

• conflicting goals

strategy to resolve:

• moving individuals between groups regularly

• motivating team members to encourage intergroup cooperation by financial incentives

• joint team building activities

• publicising the organisation’s wider goals

• regularly exchanging tasks between groups

Intragroup conflict

Intragroup conflict is conflict within the team between the members.

Cause of conflict:

• conflicting goals

• power struggles

• personal disputes

• personality clashes

• lack of resources

• poor leadership

• changing expectations

• loyalty issues

• breakdown of communication

• inappropriate communication

Strategy to resolve:

• appointing a strong leader who is accepted by the majority of the team creating a compromise scenario with give and take by the parties concerned

• discovering a new approach to the problem

• arrange team building activities

• clear disciplinary procedure

• open-door policy

• regular team meetings

• job rotation within the team

• clearly defined team roles

Positive effects of team conflict

• Brings issues to light so they can be resolved

  • once resolved, staff feel less structured and can feel more committed

• limited resources means greater need to prioritise work

  • may encourage innovation and creative problem solving

• poor leadership can result in team members taking on more responsibility themselves and become empowered

  • subordinates develop comradery under a poor leader

• power struggles boost ambition and competitiveness

  • can result in the team member being more focused on success

• opposing values/perspectives can create a source of creativity

  • team members can learn from different approaches/personalities

• inappropriate communication can lead to an effective grapevine being developed which build positive informal relationships in a team

• disputes over available financial incentives/rewards may encourage productivity to obtain a bonus or meet a target

Negative effects of team conflict

• hostility and resentment amongst team members can lead to high absenteeism and low staff morale

  • if this persists staff my leave the organisation resulting in a high staff turnover

  • this can impact the image f the company making it difficult to recruit high quality staff in the long run

• poor communication can occur resulting in poor decision making

  • deadlines are missed/postponed which can affect sales/profitability and customer service

  • mistakes may be made which are expensive and time consuming

  • may result in legal disputes if sensitive data is mishandled

• team members may not work well with each other hampering productivity

• an increase in disciplinary disputes will arise lowering the morale of the organisation and creating distrust between staff and management

• rival teams can create a stressful working environment making it difficult to manage and lead to a loss of control

  • an increase in supervision may be required creating an autocratic workplace with a poor corporate culture

• inappropriate communication and bullying in a team can occur which could result in external regulation from trade unions

  • fines and sanctions could be imposed if management have overlook or failed to act on any complaints of equality issues arising within the team such as racial/sexual victimisation between team members