The Nine Team Roles

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Teamwork by Design

Best BlendedLearningInternational

In a nutshell

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Best BlendedLearningInternational

In a nutshell

Learn

Practice

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Clickformore

Best BlendedLearningInternational

In a nutshell

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Practice

Reflect

Clickformore

Best BlendedLearningInternational

In a nutshell

Learn

Practice

Reflect

The 9 Team Roles

Creative, imaginative, and knowledgeable problem solver who focuses on the big picture and ignores peripheral issues, too busy to be an effective communicator

Cold, hard-headed, and prudent strategist, does not ignore any important detail, chooses correctly selecting the best option, may find hard to inspire people

Dedicated, narrowly focused, self-motivator, brings professionalism, uncommon knowledge, and rare skills to the team, fusses about details, may not see the big picture

Challenging, energetic, enjoys working under pressure, has the drive to overcome obstacles and to get things done, can be abrasive, provoking, and easily provoked

Efficient, disciplined, methodical, and reliable, turns ideas into plans, and plans into action, tends to lack flexibility, and vision to see new possibilities

Conscientious, painstaking, worry-prone, ferrets out errors of commission and omission, makes sure the team delivers on time, poor delegator

Cooperative, diplomatic, sensitive, averts fragmentation, builds bridges, calms tempers, vacillates and shies away from tough decision

Communicative, enthusiastic, finds new opportunities, good networker, extroverted, has short interest-span and tends to be lazy unless under pressure

Calm, confident, mature, natural chairperson, goal clarifier, good delegator, decisive, balances consultation with control, not pretenses with regards to ability

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You can apply this tool to understand how individuals in the team prefer to work and to ensure a good balance of roles across the group. For example, you can use it:

• to think about team balance before a project starts
• to highlight and manage interpersonal differences within an existing team
• to develop yourself or others

Grab a pen and take 2 minutes to write out three strengths and three weaknesses you feel you have. Now compare these to the Belbin roles and use them to identify what part you would naturally take in a team. Ask yourself the following questions: - What role do I consider I take in team activities? - Who would I have to work with to complement my weaknesses? - Who would I consider the most challenging role to deal with? - Who would I enjoy working with the most?

Best BlendedLearningInternational

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