Exploring the Benefits and Limitations of Belbin's Team Roles in Project Management
Developed by Torbjørn D. Rosseland
Introduction
This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how and why Belbin's Team Roles can be effectively utilized in Project Management. It furthermore explores the benefits and limitations of utilizing Belbin's Team Role model for team dynamic. The article aims to target and appeal to everybody, but a basic understanding of fundamental elements within Project Management is advised.
The article will first delve into the origins and development of Belbin's Team Role theory by Dr. Meredith Belbin, explaining the nine different roles that can be adopted within a team. An explanation of the difference between Functional Roles and Team Roles will be described given the significances they both have in a team context.
Two different standards are used to identify and describe the importance of Belbin’s Team Roles in Project Management. The first one is ISO 21500:2012 [1], which is an international standard for Project Management that aims to provide guidelines for initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and closure of projects. The other standard is PMBOK® (Project Management Body of Knowledge) [2], and is a comprehensive guide which includes a set of standard terminology, guidelines and best practices for managing projects.
Lastly, the article analyzes and explores the potential benefits and limitations of utilizing Belbin's Team Roles in Project Management. The article aims to provide a balanced view of the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and highlights the importance of considering various factors when implementing this method in a team setting.
Contents |
History & Background information
The history of Meredith Belbin's Theory
To create a successful team, it is important to have a mix of personalities that can take on various roles. Assigning tasks based on individual’s strengths and weaknesses is an effective approach to building a team, as people tend to achieve great results when working on tasks that align with their strengths. Usually, people are given roles; they do not find them.(page 1)[3].
Raymond Meredith Belbin is a British researcher born 4 June 1926. He started studying Classics at Clare College, Cambridge as a young man[4]. After a few years he changed courses to Psychology and completed the course in half the allotted time. It was during this time he met his future wife, Eunice. Belbin continued his studies with a PhD, focusing on the Psychology of Ageing in the Industry. While Belbin was working at the Industrial Training Research Unit (ITRU), he was invited to preform research at the Administrative Staff College at Henley-on-Thames. The team consisted of Belbin, Eunice, Bill Harston, Jeanne Fisher and Roger Mottram. It was from this research that formed the basis for Team Role theory, although the significance was not yet revealed.
Meredith Belbin worked with colleagues in Australia to study intellectual abilities and teamworking. He aimed to build on success and understand reasons for failure, focusing on providing opportunities based on individual’s abilities and interests. In 1981, he wrote the book Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail[5], which later became one of the top fifty management books of all time.
Belbin worked for ICI Paints and Cadbury’s Schweppes to assess individual suitability for different jobs, but by the late 1980’s, the demand exceeded the supply and he had to work long hours. In 1988, Belbin and his family formed Belbin Associates to promote Belbin Team Roles worldwide. In 1993, he published Team Roles at Work[3]
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