Belbin Team Roles

This article describes and discusses the theory of the Belbin Team Roles. This theory, developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin and his research team, identifies nine distinct team roles that can be determined using a written test. Belbin claims that there is a correlation between team structure balanced according to these roles and improved performance. The PRINCE2 standard recognizes that different tasks are performed better by different personality types, and recognises the importance of having well-defined project management team structure with defined roles and responsibilities . Thus, the Belbin Team Roles theory can assist in defining these roles and responsibilities in a structured manner. This article outlines the history of the Belbin Team Roles theory and provides a detailed explanation of its application in various project management challenges. The Belbin test is explained along with the nine identified team roles, and a number of relevant practical application opportunities are described, including, among others, Creating Balanced and Successful Teams, Understanding your Individual Role in a Project Team and Facilitation of Sensitive Discussions. Finally, serval limitations of the theory are discussed. The main limitation presented is the lacking proof of the validity of the theory. A number of case studies have not been able to establish a correlation between a team profile balanced according to Belbin team roles and achieving a high team performance. The article therefore argues that the Belbin Team Role theory should not be used as a complete truth. Instead it can be seen as a tool used to create a common language within a project team, thus helping facilitate healthy discussions regarding the dynamics of team work. Simply using the theory to create a balanced team will not guarantee high performance, only continuous effort will lead to this. In the final section of the article, the most relevant annotated bibliography is described.

Background and Relation to Project Management

The Belbin Team Roles theory is a tool used to define an individual’s role within a team. According to the theory, diverse teams are more likely to succeed. Therefore, the tool can be used when putting together a project team in order to increase the likelihood of the team being successful.

Is it an important step to in a project to carefully put together a team of people that will be most likely to conduct the project successfully. According to the PMBOK® Guide, a body of project management standards and guidelines, a project is defined as a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result . As a project is carried out by a defined project team, the characteristics of this team is vital for the success of a project.

The knowledge of how different personality types work together can enable a project manager to create balanced teams that are able to work together more effectively and efficiently. In accordance with this PRINCE2 states that the success of a project is dependent upon the right people being involved and that these people are aware of what is expected of them and what they can expect from each other. PRINCE2 also highlights that in order for a project to be successful it needs to have “an explicit project management team structure, consisting of defined and agreed roles and responsibilities for the people involved in the project and a means for effective communication between them” . This is due to the fact that “certain types of people are more suited to certain roles” and that “some combinations of personality types work better than others” . This statement is aligned with the theory behind the Belbin Team Roles, and the tool is therefore relevant for project managers.

History of the Belbin Team Roles

The theory of the Belbin Team roles was developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin and his interdisciplinary research team consisting of the mathematician Bill Hartston, anthropologist Jeanne Fisher and occupational psychologist Roger Mottram. It was developed over a nine-year period at the Henley Management College by studying international management teams and having them fill out psychometric tests. This enabled them to link the combinations of personalities and behaviour of the team members to the performance of the team .

As the study progressed, it became apparent that the deciding factor of the success of a team was not the intellectual levels of the team members, as first assumed, but rather the balance of the behaviour of the project team members. Using this insight, it became possible to use the results of the psychometric tests to predict whether a team of specific individuals would be likely to succeed.

During the study, eight different clusters of behaviour were identified and each of these was defined as a “Team Role”. Later, a ninth role was identified, the Specialist. In the study, the most successful teams were found to be the ones with the broadest range of individuals within these defined Team Roles. Following the study, Dr. Belbin formulated the Belbin Team Role Self-Perception Inventory (BTRSPI) which was to be used to determine an individual’s team role. The BTRSPI measures behaviour, not just personality, and is therefore not considered a psychometric test. Personality is expected to remain relatively constant throughout the life of an individual, however, some changes in behaviour might occur, for instance in relation to a job change. It is therefore possible for an individual’s BTRSPI result to change with time . This means that re-taking the BTRSPI test regularly might give differing results.

Application

This section provides an in-depth explanation of the Belbin test and the nine Belbin Team Roles.

Preferred, Manageable and Least Preferred Roles

As stated earlier, a project team is most likely to succeed if all nine Belbin Team Roles are present and balanced within the individuals of the team. However, as most people are able to display more than one role at a time, it is possible to represent all nine roles within a team of less than nine individuals. People have a number of Preferred Team Roles that they easily and naturally fit into. In addition to this, people have Manageable Team Roles. These roles do not fit them as naturally as the preferred roles, but can be assumed when necessary. Finally, people have Least Preferred Roles. These roles do not come naturally, and require unreasonable amounts of effort to assume. These should therefore be avoided and left to individuals within the project team, for whom these roles are more naturally assumed.

The Belbin Team Role Self-Perception Inventory (BTRSPI)

The BTRSPI is used to determine the preferred, manageable and least preferred roles of an individual. It is a written test consisting of several topics containing a number of statements related to each other. The individual being tested is asked to assign a total of 10 points to the statements related to the topic, that he/she believes best describe himself/herself. An example of a topic is I believe I can make a positive contribution to a team because:, and examples of statements within this topic could then be: I am seen as a mutual team player and I am quick to see and take advantage of new opportunities”