Team Roles
Identify your preferred team roles, the team roles of others and how this can make you more successful
Introduction to Team Roles
Team roles explain the way that you like to work in a team. There are a range of different ways of working that team-members adopt: some are more focused on the thinking / problem solving, some are more focused on the tasks and delivery, and some are more focused on the people and organisational aspects of the team. Most people will have a primary style that they will adopt, though are a happy to switch to a secondary style if required.
Team Role Models
One of the leading models on Team styles was developed by R.Meredith Belbin and described in his book ('ManagementTeams - Why they succeed of fail'). His ideas were developed from a series of management simulation games, carried out over a number of years. Peter Honey ('Teams and teamwork') has offered a more simplified 5-style model. Charles Margerison and Dick McCann created the Team Management Profile which identifies 8 team styles.
Further research and reading is in the Resources section which you'll find once you have taken your team role assessment. This site is in no way affiliated to Belbin® and does not offer the official Belbin® assessment. Belbin reports currently cost £42 for an individual report. For more information, please go to their site here.
The Team Role - Jigsaw Model
In Figure 1 below, you'll find the Team role jigsaw model. This is based on the idea that succesful teams require a blend of roles to be carried out by team members. When forming or developing a team, the starting question is whether you are missing key pieces from the jigsaw.
The model is in three layers: the top layer deals with roles that are oriented around thinking and approach, the middle layer deals with roles that are oriented around tasks and action, and the bottom layer deal with roles that are oriented around people and engagement.
Some team role models have created terms to explain different team roles. We prefer to explain the roles with short explanations - making the ideas more accessible to a wider audience. These explanations highlight the dominant activity that a given role likes to do, and what they are likely to thrive on.
There is no charge for taking the Team Role assessment, which will provide you with an assessment of your preferred (dominant) role and your secondary role.
- Thinking preferences
- Someone who likes to analyse, and thrives on objectivity
- Someone who likes to create ideas, and thrives on originality
- Someone who likes to network, and thrives on finding support
- Task preferences
- Someone who likes to deliver, and thrives of cooperation
- Someone who likes to bring expertise, and thrives on knowledge
- Someone who likes to complete, and thrives on closure
- People preferences
- Someone who likes to help, and thrives on empathy
- Someone who likes to motivate, and thrives on stress
- Someone who likes to organise, and thrives on living the plan
Team role assessment: outputs
In the output of the team role assessment, you'll get more information on your preferred roles and on the other role types. If you are a subscriber, you'll also get additional insight into the strenghts of each type, areas to think about to be your best, interview questions that you might want to use, and career considerations for each type.
Take your Team role assessment
The Team role style assessment in a short questionnaire that helps you identify you preferred and your secondary team roles. The assessment is free to carry out and provides explanations of each of the 9 team roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this free?
Yes. Unlike some other team role assessments, there are no charges for taking this assessment. You can take the team role assessment as often as you like without any fee, and you get can get your team to take the assessment free of charge. Additional information about team roles is made available for subscribers.
Do I have to register to take the assessment?
Yes, you will have to register to take the assessment. This will enable you to keep copies of your assessments and come back in the future to see if / how your assessment evolves. You can delete your account at any time.
How long will it take me to do the Team Role assessment?
It typically will take under 10 minutes to do the assessment. The format uses a sliding scale which simplifies what you need to do, and we recommend that you don't overthink the answers.
Should I refer to my team role in a job interview?
We do not recommend using team role terminology in a career conversation (unless it is clearly required). Instead, we believe that it is better to introduce your preferences by use of examples at appropriate times in the conversation.
