Belbin® Team Typing Method

The Belbin® Team Typing method was pioneered a couple of decades ago, and has extensive popularity in the UK (where it was developed, and where it is commonly part of MBA curricula), Australia and Japan. It has been used by such varying organizations as BBC, British TeleCom, the House of Parliament, and the Body Shop.

The Belbin method is relatively unknown and quite underused in the US; to my knowledge, I am one of only a handful of American organizational development consultants certified in the method.

The Belbin® Team Typing system is a scientifically proven method for identifying individuals’ preferred team roles and their likely contributions to the team. It is predicated on the notion that it takes 9 different team types to build a successful team (by “successful”, I mean a team that effectively and harmoniously plans, implements, and takes a project over the finish line with the least amount of cost, time, and bloodshed:).

Belbin’s model further states that we all have each of the 9 types, but in differing ratios. For example, although two colleagues may both be primarily “team workers”, Person 1 may have more of that typing than Person 2. In the event of some kind of conflict that required building harmony and averting conflict, the former might be better and more comfortable managing the conflict than the latter.

Knowing who does what best can allow each individual to move in and out of the team process when it most benefits the team. Not surprisingly, the team members report greater engagement with the process and more job satisfaction because they get to use their skills, avoid their shortcomings, and do more of what they like and are good at. The upshot is that overall goals can be achieved faster.

To give you a very general idea, following are the 9 team types, and some of their characteristics and functions:

1. Plants: Innovators and inventors who provide the seeds and ideas from which major developments spring. The “idea” people. Often used in initial stages of a project or when a project is failing to progress.

2. Resource Investigators: Enthusiastic extroverts who are skilled at finding out what is available and what can be done. Good at exploring and reporting back on ideas. Best people to set up external contacts and carry out negotiations outside the group.

3. Monitor Evaluators: High critical thinking ability and a capacity for shrewd judgments that takes all factors into consideration. Best suited to analyzing problems and evaluating ideas and suggestions.

4. Coordinators: Incite teams to work toward shared goals. Good at spotting individual talents and using them in pursuit of group objectives. Best at managing diverse teams.

5. Shapers: Aggressive, with strong drive. Like to lead and push others into action, and are great at finding a way around obstacles. Best at sparking life into a team and guaranteeing positive team action.

6. Teamworkers: Sociable, flexible and adaptive to different situations and people. Best at preventing interpersonal problems arising within the team, thus allowing all to contribute effectively. Best at contributing positively to team morale.

7. Implementers: Show good common sense, self-control and discipline. Tackle problems systematically and have strong organizational skills. Best at doing what needs to be done, even if it’s distasteful.

8. Completer Finishers: Great capacity for follow-through and attention to detail. Won’t start something they can’t finish. Best at meeting deadlines and dealing with aspects of projects that require precision, attention to detail, and follow-up.

9. Specialists: The “content expert.” Have high level of technical skill and/or specialized knowledge. Best at providing the rare skill or input upon which the organization’s service or product is based.

Even from these simplistic descriptors, you can imagine that, for example, a Plant might be very unhappy (and not very useful) at tying up the loose ends at the end of a project, while the Completer Finisher would be in her element. Belbin® Team Typing can assist you with not only choosing appropriate personnel for tasks and putting them into harmonious and effective working groups, but can also be used to move individuals in and out of different processes as the task demands.

Obviously, the Belbin Team model is not the "be all and end all", and must be meshed with functional roles that are required by the one’s work itself. In my experience, the Belbin model is invaluable in helping to create strong teams, resolve conflicts, plan strategically, and increase productivity.

If you would like to use Belbin® Team Typing in conjunction with a strategic planning process, conflict mediation, or team building activity, please contact me at dana@danagallagher.com.

To learn more about Belbin® Team Typing, see www.belbin.com.

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