Our Roles with the Team….

There is no greater joy than working as part of well-grounded team, one where everyone fits into a certain role. However the reality is that the role we often start out with is not the one we actual ending up doing.  I think this something that Meredith Belbin was aware of when he created his team roles back in the 1960, as he thought most people would display elements from two or three roles, and could or would adapt to cover others if needed.

Our team started out well, with three out of the four of us being able to meet in person, at first just for coffees, a getting to know you situation. And later on to discuss the upcoming team report and the work that would needed to be done and various team roles. We were a group of strong independent personalities with an unknown source in our fourth team member. 

Gabrielle went first, in labelling herself a Shaper, Implementer, Completer Finisher and Team worker. In looking at her contribution to the team, and while she may have started as Shaper this style of leadership did not work well in our diverse group of people, some of us being more bound to give everyone an equal chance to participate. Another more appropriate role for her too was that of Specialist, as she did provide insight and technical expertise in her portion of the report.  And she certainly has been a great Completer & Finisher, with picking up typos and spelling mistakes during our various draft reports before finalisation.

Christina was our unknown resource, as due to other commitments she was unable to meet up with us, she was also the youngest in the group.  Well she didn’t get to show any leadership style, she was a great asset to the team, being a Specialist, Team Worker and Completer Finisher.  Her ability as a specialist to research and break down information was of a great help, she went about her assigned tasks promptly and efficiently, and kept this up when even on the other side of the world.  Without her dedication and help, during the finishing phases I think we would have struggled more than we did. 

And then there was Jindina, an excellent Co-ordinator, Plant, Team work and a Completer Finisher, with just a little touch of perfectionism. She worked tirelessly organising brain storm ideas, and structures for the team to develop as a whole, a true plant.  She listened and worked well with all of the team, and was certainly diplomatic when required, but she really came into her own as a Completer Finisher, where her eye for detail and style created a smooth flowing document.  However in true fashion of a Completer Finisher, right up until the end, when I as leader put my foot down, was still worried about details that she thought we all might have missed.     

And then there is me, someone who really doesn’t like labels.  If I am honest I am Team Worker, Resource Investigator and Co-ordinator.  I took over the leadership mantel of the team, and tried to encourage everyone to communicate with each other, and had call to on my diplomatic skills more than once, when errors in communication and understanding threatened to become arguments.   As a Resource Investigator, I use my connections and contacts to secure our interviews at what is a difficult time of year due to holidays.  But above all I worked as part of the team to support and assist where ever possible and when needed.  

That leaves one role which I think the three of us who were able to meet up, all filled at various times, that is Monitor Evaluator.  As we bounced ideas around, keeping some and discarding other we each had our own input to this role, all be it for only a small period of time.

It’s always hard to label people, and some will think “but I am more than that”.  I can’t say that this has been my favourite exercise of the entire course, but it is a necessary one when coming to understand the dynamics behind the team structure and how it works.