Belbin's 9 Roles and Their Great Importance in Team Management

The Belbin's 9 Roles They outline the key characteristics that a work team should have. It helps improve efficiency and profitability.

The Belbin's 9 Roles It is a theory of teamwork developed by Meredith Belbin, a renowned researcher and business consultant specializing in management of human resources. In fact, the Human Resources Department is one of the company competencies which will experience the most growth. That's why we're explaining what this theory is all about and what its main strengths are.

What are the three categories of team roles?

A study was conducted that lasted up to a decade, during which up to three business simulation games were carried out, each lasting one year.

The result was Belbin's 9-Role Theory, divided into three different categories. These are as follows:

  • Social Studies: The members of this group aim to find the cohesion, the coordination and establish a point of contact of the team's work with the outside world. He cannot conceive of society without relationships with others stakeholders.
  • Mental: This category includes everyone who has the knowledge, the creativity or that one critical perspective which is necessary for formulating, planning, and carrying out any type of task.
  • Action: In this case, it refers to all team members who move on to the action and complete all their pending tasks.

successful-team-2021-09-01-10-51-25-utcRole category. Source: Envato

Belbin's Theory of Team Roles had a huge impact when it came to manage human resources, and to be able to develop a way of working as a team efficient.

What are the 9 Belbin team roles? 

Within each category, three distinct roles are defined, which together make up the nine roles that comprise this business theory and contribute to the performance of the teamwork. The main roles are as follows:

1- Social Studies

    • Coordinator: It facilitates decision-making, fosters maturity within the team, and also aims to create a positive work environment.
    • Binder: Team unity and cohesion are vitally important when we work. Therefore, this profile aims to achieve this goal.
    • Resource researcher: They are typically described as very outgoing individuals with strong business communication skills who tend to be entrepreneurial.

2- Mental

    • Brain: His main strengths are creativity and imagination, so he can bring a wealth of ideas to the team.
    • Specialist: Specialization is another key quality required of a team, so this role will help with the completion of a specific task.
    • Evaluation Monitor: This is a strategic professional role that requires insight and keen observation. In this way, the person in this role will help make objective decisions.

3- Action Roles

    • Implementer: He is able to turn different kinds of ideas into action. He must be disciplined, organized, and highly efficient.
    • Impeller: He has a remarkable ability to work under pressure and demonstrates a great deal of initiative and proactivity. He has a strong personality, so it is recommended that there be no more than one person like him per team.
    • Finisher: His main strength is organization, and he ensures that everything is completed on time and to the expected standard.

group-of-business-people-diverse-brainstorm-meetin-2021-09-03-13-02-45-utcAction roles. Source: Envato

In conclusion, the Belbin's 9 Roles outline the main characteristics that equipment must meet in order to be efficient y profitable in the long term. Ideally, the team should include at least these 9 members, as they work best together and will help ensure that all objectives are met. The results of a simulation conducted years ago showed that these skills were all the variables any project needs to be completed successfully. In such a competitive world, it’s essential to have the best people on board. That’s why at Structuralia we have the Master's Degree (MBA) in Business Administration and Management.

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