Productive Teams and Team Roles. BBB TTT v2.0 - Day2-2 3CP Overheads (Nov 8 2007) 2 Productive Teams and Team Roles The formation of effective teams

Productive Teamsand Team Roles

BBB TTT v2.0 - Day2-2 3CP Overheads (Nov 8 2007) 2

Productive Teams and Team Roles The formation of effective teams is more by good fortune

than good judgment….it doesn’t have to be that way!

Rapid, high quality teamwork is not an accident. It requires discipline & effective interaction skills: Balanced, diverse team Effective process Relevant experience

Team Role Profiles – a scientifically proven, rapid way to predict team effectiveness: Design effective teams Diagnose existing teams


Team Roles Dr. Meredith Belbin from Cambridge University

discovered over 20 years of research into team effectiveness: The skill or individual excellence of the team members was not a

predictor of a team’s results. It was the way that the individual members behaved that

contributed to or detracted from the team’s effectiveness. He identified nine predictable behavior patterns or “team roles.”

He demonstrated that with a careful balance of technical skills and the optimal behavior patterns, we can select teams with a higher degree of predictable success.


Belbin’s Ability to Predict Team Performance

1st7th

1st

7th PredictedFinish

ActualFinish

• Belbin was ultimately trying to predict team performance.

• In one validation study, he ran three separate sessions with teams competing against each other. In each case, he predicted which teams would finish first to last.

• This chart shows the comparison of his predictions to the actual results.

• His predictions were largely correct – in fact, they explained over 75% of the performance differences seen during the competition!

Reading the Graph:

The 3 teams predicted to finish first actually finished 1st twice and 4th one time.

‘Per

fect

’

Predi

ctio

n


Team Roles What is a Team Role?

A tendency to behave, contribute, and interrelate with others in a particular way when working in a team

Nine Roles Identified As individuals differ greatly in personality & behavior so

too will their team role profiles vary. The 9 team roles for most people fall into three categories:

Natural or preferred roles Roles they can assume Roles they should probably avoid.


The Stages of Research

1. Low critical thinking = ineffective team

2. All the smart people on the same team

3. Need Creativity (PL)

4. Too much creativity without structure (CO, ME)

5. Need for organization (IMP, CF)

6. Need the Outside View (RI)

7. Need for Speed (SH)

8. Dealing with Conflict (TW)

9. Need for Deep Knowledge (SP)


Set of Observable Behaviors

Factors Determining Individual Behavior in a Team

Instability between the factors can create inner-conflict, Team Roles unclear – conflict needs to be consciously resolved

Absence of conflicting factors leads to simple, uncomplicated behavior – Team Roles easy to see4.

Environment &

Constraints

3.Current Values

& Motivations

2.Mental Abilities

1. Personality

6.Role

Learning

5.Experience


The Nine Team RolesA

ctio

n

SHShaper

IMPImplementer

CFCompleter Finisher

Th

inki

ng

PLPlant

MEMonitor Evaluator

SPSpecialist

Peo

ple

TWTeam Worker

RIResource Investigator

COCoordinator

Hard Driving, Influencer, DynamicChallenges, Puts on the PressureOrganizing, Disciplined, ReliableTurns ideas into practical actions

Meticulous, Conscientious, On timeSearches out errors and omissions

Diplomatic, Cooperative, Perceptive Listens, Averts friction

Outgoing, Enthusiastic, NetworkerRecognizes Opportunities

Motivator, Orchestrator, Facilitator Clarifies goals & decision-making.

Creative, Original, UnorthodoxSolves difficult problems

Objective, Strategic, DiscerningJudges all options

Deep Knowledge, Single-minded, Self-starting

Team Role Contribution

Absent-mindedIgnores details

Uninspiring, Critical

Limited contribution

Abrasive, InsensitiveEasily provoked

InflexibleReluctant to change

Worrier, Nit-PicksReluctant to delegate

Indecisive

Over-optimisticEasily BoredManipulative

Over-delegates

Allowable Weakness


Team Roles Key Concepts – Individual Focus on what you do best:

Understand and excel in your natural, preferred roles & manage, rather than struggle to be good at your least-preferred roles. This leads to coherence.

Be aware of and manage your Allowable Weaknesses: This is the price to be paid for being good in your preferred roles.

Example: a strong Shaper is going to hurt some peoples feelings as they forge ahead

Ensure that a Weakness does not become “Disallowable”: Lose a Plant’s attention during a meeting because they are dreaming up a

creative solution = OK Plant forgets to come to meeting because they are thinking about something

else = NOT OK!


Team Roles Key Concepts – TeamDiversity is essential - Need all 9 roles to be most effective

over the long-term Belbin demonstrated that diversity is a key predictor of actual results, it

provides a framework for constructive conflict Doesn’t mean a team needs 9 people (5-7 is best) Each role should be represented (who plays each role may evolve &

change over time) Some roles will be more or less important at a given time or for certain

tasks facing the team

Beware of having too many of same role on team: Too many Plants – all brainstorming, no action Too many Monitor Evaluators – analysis paralysis Too many Shapers – CONFLICT & !!***#%!!/

BEWARE OF LABELLING PEOPLE!!: Everyone has 3 to 6 roles they prefer or are comfortable with and they may

prefer/need to use different roles in different circumstances.

Individual Belbin Profiles

REPORTS


Reading Your Report

The instructor will hand out everyone’s individual profiles

Key Questions to answer:

Is my profile coherent ?

Are my strongest roles consistent across observers and myself ?

Are the weaknesses seen by the observers ‘allowable’ ?

Are my top roles much more evident to the observers than my weaker roles ?


Assessment Results in Rank Order Example Report

In the example above, the candidate emerges as a very strong Teamworker (TW) or Coordinator (CO). The overall rank order on the bottom line is a weighted average of the Self-Perception rank order and the total of the Observers’ rank order.

(Note: Observers names can be shown or remain anonymous: Observer 1, 2 etc.)

What are my Top Roles ?


Pie Charts of Self-Perception vs. Observers Example Report

In this example, the candidate’s perceived roles are not in general accord with the perceptions of others. There are disconnects in the CO, SH, TW and IMP, shown by large differences between self perception and observer scores at the bottom of the page.

Differences of 10 or

more

Am I coherent ?


Self-Perception Team Role Profile Example Report

In this example, the candidate would prefer to play the roles of Coordinator (CO) or Shaper (SH), can manage the roles of Plant (PL), Resource Investigator (RI), Monitor Evaluator (ME) and Completer Finisher (CF), and least prefers the roles of Team Worker (TW), Implementer (IMP) and Specialist (SP).


Bar Graph of Observer Words Example Report

In the example above the most prominent role, as seen by others is Teamworker (TW).

The role in the middle of the graph, Monitor Evaluator (ME), is their weakest role as perceived by others.

Are these weakness

es allowable

?

Ratio of ~5:1


Counseling Report Example Report


List of Observer ResponsesExample Report

This 'sample' list shows at the person’s main strengths and some of his behavioral characteristics most appreciated, e.g. diplomatic, caring, and encouraging of others.

They should try to work with people who will cover what he lacks and who will most appreciate his strengths.

Maximum score = 2 x number of

observers


Team Mapping Exercise

PL

ME

SP

SH

CF

IMP

CO

TW

RI

Mik

e

Susa

n Tim

Jo

hn

B

eth

R

aj

D

enis

e

1

3

2

8

9

7

7

8

9

1

2

3

7

8

9

1

2

3

7

8

9

1

2

3

7

8

9

1

2

3

7

8

9

1

2

3

7

8

9

1

2

3

For each Team Role:• Surplus ?

• Void ?

• If so, what adjustments will be required ?

Documents

Productive Teams and Team Roles. BBB TTT v2.0 - Day2-2 3CP Overheads (Nov 8 2007) 2 Productive Teams and Team Roles The formation of effective teams