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What kind of people do you need to make a good team?

Task and Maintenance Roles in Groups

University of Bath - Module on Management of Innovations - SESP Project, Lesotho 1995

Task Roles

These roles help to get the job done. They often appear to need tough and single minded people in them. They relate to the rationale (life of the group)

Maintenance Roles

These roles provide the ‘oil’ for the machinery. They look after the emotional life of the group, help make it work, consider the needs of individuals. They open up the channels of communication.

You need both roles present in a group

1. Types of people in Task Roles

Initiator

Start things off; or helps change direction. Initially often the leader.

Clarifier

Takes individual contributions and clarifies them - encourages people to be specific "are you saying that ...", "it seems to me what you are saying is ..."

Information giver

Gives or volunteers to find out certain information. It may relate to the exact structure of the task.

The questioner

Asks fundamental questions about the task of the group. Main factor is the ability to step back from what is going on and challenge assumptions.

The summariser

Does not add anything (or much) but provides the facility of checking what has been achieved. Provides breathing space. Can be a formal role in a group.

2. Types of people in Maintenance Roles

The supporter

Provides warmth to individuals "yes, I think that’s a good point", "that was really helpful" etc. Non-verbal support - a mistake to see these as non-contributors.

The joker

Allows the group to let off steam.

Sharing experience

"That happened to me" - helps breakthrough to the personal level.

Process observer

Often shows himself when the group gets stuck. Helps unblock group dynamics.

Teams - the essential features

Source: Honey P (1994) Teams and Leaders - video notes. Melrose Film Productions

bulletA Team needs to have clear, challenging objectives which everyone understands and wants to achieve
bulletA Team needs to have members who are committed by being involved and by talking differences through to a consensus
bulletA Team needs to have members with a variety of different styles that complement one another

There are three key types of Team members:

DOERS

who are intent on the job that’s to be done and give the team its drive and momentum

THINKERS

who have good ideas and reject bad ones

CARERS

who keep the team together, ease tensions, promote harmony and are sensitive about relationships within the team.

A Team needs leadership. This involves someone who wins consent when the Team is faced with a new challenge. Sometimes this might mean telling the Team what to do and sometimes it will involve getting ideas from Team members and orchestrating discussion and agreement. Different people may exercise the leadership role at different times.

Common Roles in a Work Group

Gross B M (1968) Organisations and their managing; Free Press, New York
Wilson D C & Rosenfeld R H (1990) Managing Organisations; McGraw Hill, UK

The following list of roles which people tend to act out in groups is based on that of Gross (1968) as quoted in Wilson and Rosenfeld (1990). It is interesting to compare it with such lists stemming from other observers/theorists.

Task-oriented individuals

Those who predominantly try to get the job done and get some output from the group.

People-oriented individuals

Those who are concerned with interpersonal relationships in the group and who work hard to maintain a good social climate.

No-sayers

Those who consistently oppose most proposals; have thick skins; find fault with virtually everything.

Yes-sayers

Those who try to get round opposition, are enthusiastic and counter the no-sayers.

Regulars

Those who are obviously accepted by the group. These are the ‘in people’ who accept and project the group’s norms & values.

Deviants

Individuals who depart from group values.

Isolates

‘Lone Wolves’ who often depart even further from expected values and behaviours than the deviants.

Newcomers

New entrants to the group who need to be guided by others; are expected to be seen but not heard.

Old Timers

Those who have been in the group for a long time and know the ropes.

Climbers

Individuals who are commonly expected to get ahead often on the basis of assumed potential rather than any concrete demonstration of ability.

Cosmopolitans

Group members who view themselves as part of a wider professional or cultural community and who often consider the group and its members inferior to this wider community.

Locals

Those who are firmly rooted in the group and in the organizational community.

Team Types - know them by their slogans

Belbin M (1993) Team roles at work; Butterworth/ Heinemann; ISBN 0 7506 0925 7

Belbin is famous for his categorization of types of people in teams. His 9 types are listed below and described in terms of the phrases and slogans which they might use.

Plant

bulletWhen a problem is baffling, think laterally
bulletWhere there’s a problem, there’s a solution
bulletThe greater the problem, the greater the challenge
bulletDo not disturb, genius at work
bulletGood ideas always seem strange at first
bulletIdeas start with dreaming
bulletWithout continuous innovation, there is no survival

Teamworker

bulletCourtesy costs nothing
bulletI was very interested in your point of view
bulletIf it’s all right with you, it’s all right with me
bulletEverybody has a good side worth appealing to
bulletIf people listened to themselves more, they would talk less
bulletYou can always sense a good atmosphere at work
bulletI try to be versatile

Resource Investigator

bulletWe could make a fortune out of that
bulletIdeas should be stolen with pride
bulletNever reinvent the wheel
bulletOpportunities arise from other people’s mistakes
bulletSurely we can exploit that?
bulletYou can always telephone to find out
bulletTime spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted

Implementer

bulletIf it can be done, we will do it
bulletAn ounce of action is worth a pound of theory
bulletHard work never killed anybody
bulletIf it’s difficult, we do it immediately. If it’s impossible it takes a little longer
bulletTo err is human, to forgive is not company policy
bulletLet’s get down to the task in hand
bulletThe company has my full support

Co-ordinator

bulletLet’s keep the main objective in sight
bulletHas anyone else got anything to add to this?
bulletWe like to reach a consensus before we move forward
bulletNever assume that silence means approval
bulletI think that we should give someone else a chance
bulletGood delegation is an art
bulletManagement is the art of getting other people to do all the work

Completer finisher

bulletThis is something that demands our undivided attention
bulletThe small print is always worth reading
bullet‘If anything can go wrong it will’, and as O’Toole said on Murphy’s Law, ‘Murphy was an optimist’.
bulletThere is no excuse for not being perfect
bulletPerfection is only just good enough
bulletA stitch in time saves nine
bulletHas it been checked?

Shaper

bulletJust do it!
bulletSay ‘no’, then negotiate.
bulletIf you say ‘yes I will do it’, I expect it to be done
bulletI’m not satisfied we are achieving all we can
bulletI may be blunt, but at least I am to the point
bulletI’ll get things moving
bulletWhen the going gets tough, the tough get going

Specialist

bulletIn this job you never stop learning
bulletChoose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day of your life
bulletTrue professionalism is its own reward
bulletMy subject is fascinating to me
bulletThe more you know, the more you find to discover
bulletIt is better to know a lot about something, than a little about everything
bulletA committee is 12 people doing the work on one

Monitor evaluator

bulletI’ll think it over and give you a firm decision tomorrow
bulletHave we exhausted all the options?
bulletIf it does not stand up to logic, it’s not worth doing!
bulletBetter to make the right decision slowly than the wrong one quickly
bulletThis looks like the best option on balance
bulletLet’s weigh up the alternatives
bulletDecisions should not be based purely on enthusiasm
For Fellowship to be right, there must be organisation within diversity: clarity in purpose within the strength of diversity. Then does fellowship lead to order. (I Ching)

Belbin’s Team Role Theory

Source: West M (1994) Effective Teamwork; The British Psychology Society

Based on research with over 200 teams conducting management business games at the Administrative Staff College, Henley, in the UK, Belbin identified nine team types. Almost always people have a mix of roles and will have dominant and sub-dominant roles.

Co-ordinator

The co-ordinator is a person-oriented leader. This person is trusting, accepting, dominant and is committed to team goals and objectives. The co-ordinator is a positive thinker who approves of goal attainment, struggle and effort in others. The co-ordinator is someone tolerant enough always to listen to others, but strong enough to reject their advice. The co-ordinator may not stand out in a team and usually does not have a sharp intellect.

Shaper

The shaper is a task-focused leader who abounds in nervous energy, who has a high motivation to achieve and for whom winning is the name of the game. The shaper is committed to achieving ends and will ‘shape’ others into achieving the aims of the team. He or she will challenge, argue or disagree and will display aggression in the pursuit of goal achievement. Two or three shapers in a group, according to Belbin, can lead to conflict, aggravation and in-fighting.

Plant

The plant is a specialist idea maker characterised by high IQ and introversion while also being dominant and original. The plant tends to take radical approaches to team functioning and problems. Plants are more concerned with major issues than with details. Weaknesses are a tendency to disregard practical details and argumentativeness.

Resource Investigator

The resource investigator is the executive who is never in his room, and if he is, he is on the telephone. The resource investigator is someone who explores opportunities and develops contacts. Resource investigators are good negotiators who probe others for information and support and pick up other’s ideas and develop them. They are characterised by sociability and enthusiasm and are good at liaison work and exploring resources outside the group. Weaknesses are a tendency to lose interest after initial fascination with an idea, and they are not usually the source of original ideas.

Company worker/ implementer

Implementers are aware of external obligations and are disciplined, conscientious and have a good self-image. They tend to be tough-minded and practical, trusting and tolerant, respecting established traditions. They are characterised by low anxiety and tend to work for the team in a practical, realistic way. Implementers figure prominently in positions of responsibility in larger organisations. They tend to do the jobs that others do not want to do and do them well: for example, disciplining employees. Implementers are conservative, inflexible and slow to respond to new possibilities.

Monitor evaluator

According to the model, this is a judicious, prudent, intelligent person with a low need to achieve. Monitor evaluators contribute particularly at times of crucial decision making because they are capable of evaluating competing proposals. The monitor evaluator is not deflected by emotional arguments, is serious minded, tends to be slow in coming to a decision because of a need to think things over and takes pride in never being wrong. Weaknesses are that they may appear dry and boring or even over-critical. They are not good at inspiring others. Those in high level appointments are often monitor evaluators.

Team worker

Team workers make helpful interventions to avert potential friction and enable difficult characters within the team to use their skills to positive ends. They tend to keep team spirit up and allow other members to contribute effectively. Their diplomatic skills together with their sense of humour are assets to a team. They tend to have skills in listening, coping with awkward people and to be sociable. sensitive and people oriented. They tend to be indecisive in moments of crisis and reluctant to do things that might hurt others.

Completer finishers

The completer finisher dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. He or she gives attention to detail, aims to complete and to do so thoroughly. They make steady effort and are consistent in their work. They are not so interested in the glamour of spectacular success. Weaknesses, according to Belbin, are that they tend to be over anxious and have difficulty letting go and delegating work.

Specialist

The specialist provides knowledge and technical skills which are in rare supply within the team. They are often highly introverted and anxious and tend to be self-starting, dedicated and committed. Their weaknesses are single-mindedness and a lack of interest in other peoples’ subjects