Managing the team

During his research Dr Belbin found that each team member was essential to the success of the team as a whole. The key is balance.

For example a ‘plant’ is required to create an idea for the team to develop and push forward. However, a team full of ‘plants’ will produce lots of good ideas, some of which are most likely to be non-starters but the team needs to embrace the good ones and move forward. Who selects the good ideas?

A team with no ‘shapers’ will amble along but full of ‘shapers’ in-fighting will occur almost immediately.

Review your own experience of seeing a team in operation or even a group of friends. Within that, there will emerge a leader or someone outspoken, an ideas person and also a person in the background trying to shape the group without speaking out aloud. All of this push and pull needs very careful management.

Then the team can move forward effectively.