Belbin Frequently Asked Questions
Belbin FAQs
Every FAQ You Wanted to Know About Belbin (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Welcome to our Belbin FAQs hub.
Your go-to guide for all things Belbin.
Whether you’re exploring how to use Belbin Team Roles for the first time or you’re a seasoned practitioner looking for a refresher, we are here to help.
We’ve tried to answer questions to the most common questions about Belbin. Different reports, how the model works, using Belbin in the workplace, and what to expect when you work with us.
From individual assessments to team development and recruitment. We explain how Belbin can improve communication, boost collaboration and help people play to their strengths.
Belbin is all about identifying and understanding behaviours, not putting people in boxes.
If you’re wondering how Belbin fits into your team, organisation or leadership strategy, chances are you’ll find the answers here.
Click on the tabs below to learn more about Belbin; Overview, Background and History, Practical Application and Benefits.
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Belbin assessments are designed to identify and assess an individual’s preferred Belbin Team Role(s) within a team setting. The assessment is based on the Belbin Team Role Theory developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin.
The primary goal of the Belbin Test is to help individuals and teams understand their behavioural strengths and contributions to team dynamics.
To complete a self-perception report, the participant completes a self-scoring questionnaire with statements and questions about their behavioural style and preferences. The Belbin reporting system, Interplace, analysed the responses to develop a report outlining the individual’s Belbin Team Roles profile.
Key components of the assessment process include
- The Self Perception Inventory / Questionnaire – Participants respond to a set of behavioural statements related to team-related scenarios, preferences, and behaviours.
- Role Identification – The report identifies an individual’s Belbin Team Roles preferences based on their response.
- Personalised Report – Participants receive a Belbin report outlining their identified Team Roles and descriptions of the associated characteristics, strengths, and potential weaknesses.
- Narrative Content – The report summarises how an individual’s Team Role preferences contribute to team dynamics and collaboration and how to apply this in the workplace.
- Self-awareness – Individuals can gain more significant insights into their own preferred working styles and strengths, building self-awareness and using this for personal development.
Belbin is not a psychometric or personality test. The report focuses on how individuals behave in a team context.
Belbin Team Role reports are not psychometric tests or assessments in the traditional sense, but are often referred to as a psychometric report with more general use of the term.
Belbin reports and psychometric tests aim to provide insights into individual behaviour or personality; they differ in terms of their scope, methodology, and objectives. In summary;
- Belbin reports are based on the Belbin Team Role Theory developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin.
- The assessment process involves participants completing a self assessment questionnaire with a series of questions related to team-related scenarios, preferences and behaviours.
- The primary focus is on identifying an individual’s preferred Belbin Team Roles within a team context and setting.
- Belbin Reports provide information about an individual’s preferred working style, strengths, and potential areas for development.
- The primary aim is to enhance self-awareness, increase awareness of other styles in the team and to promote more effective team collaboration.
Psychometric Tests:
Psychometric Tests tend to be broader assessments that measure a variety of psychological attributes, such as personality traits, cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence and aptitude. These tests are often standardised, using measures and metrics for comparison, and are designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s psychological makeup.
Psychometric Tests can be used for diverse purposes, including recruitment, career development, and personal coaching. Each can serve a distinct, and very often, a complimentary purpose, in the context of individual, team, personal and professional development.
Belbin Team Role Reports and psychometric assessments serve different purposes and focus on different aspects of an individual’s characteristics.
Belbin Team Role Report
Focus: Belbin Team Role reports concentrate on an individual’s preferred roles and behaviours within a team setting.
Team Dynamics: The primary purpose of Belbin reports is to enhance understanding of how individuals interact within a team and to identify their natural roles and team contributions.
Roles: Belbin’s Nine Team Roles each have a unique set of characteristics, strengths, and potential weaknesses. The Belbin Self Perception Report highlights an individual’s preferred, manageable and least preferred team roles.
Application: Organisations often use Belbin Team Role Reports for recruitment and selection, team-building, leadership development and improving team dynamics. Reports can help individuals recognise their strengths, areas for improvement, and how they can contribute effectively to a team.
Psychometric Assessments / Tests
Focus: Psychometric assessments can be much broader in scope and can be used to assess an individual’s personality, cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, and sometimes specific skills, competencies or aptitudes.
Individual Traits: Psychometric assessments explore individual traits, such as personality types, learning styles, emotional intelligence, or cognitive abilities. They aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of your psychological makeup.
Application: Due to the wide variety of Psychometric assessments available, they can have diverse applications, including recruitment and selection, career development, personal coaching, and competency assessments.
In summary, Belbin Team Role reports focus on an individual’s behaviour within a team. Psychometric assessments have a broader scope, covering various psychological aspects.
Both can be valuable in personal and professional development, depending on the specific goals and use context. Contact us to find out more about Belbin or other Psychometric Assessments.
The 9 Belbin Team Roles and their acronyms are;
- Shaper (SH)
- Implementer (IMP)
- Completer Finisher (CF)
- Monitor Evaluator (ME)
- Plant (PL)
- Specialist (SP)
- Resource Investigator (RI)
- Team Worker (TW)
- Co-ordinator (CO)
Yes, nobody’s behaviour is “one dimensional”. Belbin Team Role Theory is based on the principle that people are a combination of several key role types.
Depending on how we rank from highest to lowest in, and also in terms of the level of “amplification” of each team role i.e. how high or low we score for each team role, contributes to our own, “unique” team role profile.
Some other key Belbin founding principles are;
- The 9 Belbin Team Roles are not hierarchical.
- Each Belbin Team Role has a unique and essential contribution to play within a successful team.
- The Belbin model recognises that people are a combination of several key role types.
- Each Belbin Team Role brings particular strengths, as well as allowable and non-allowable weaknesses.
Yes, this can change over time. If you think of your behaviour as a video or film, it constantly moves, changes and develops over time. A Bebin Report is more like a photograph, giving us a “snapshot” of our behavioural preferences when we complete a report – at that moment in time.
As things like our workplace circumstances change over time, our Belbin Report is likely to adapt and respond to changes in role, line manager, team, industry sector, culture, etc.
Our core Belbin Team Role preferences are generally considered relatively stable, but individuals may experience change or adaptation in preference or strengths over time.
Several factors can contribute to variations in Belbin profiles, including:
Development and Growth
Individuals may undergo personal and professional development that influences their working styles and preferences. This growth can result in changes in the emphasis on specific Belbin Team Roles related to new demands.
Adaptation to Role
Changes in work responsibilities or life experiences may lead individuals to adapt to new roles or develop additional skills which can impact preferred Team Roles.
Team Dynamic
The team or organisation’s dynamics will likely shift over time. Changes in team composition, leadership, and organisational structure can influence how individuals express their preferred Belbin Team Roles.
Life Transition
Major life transitions, such as career changes, promotions, or a shift in personal circumstances, such as relocation, can also contribute to change.
Reflection and Self-Awareness
Increased self-awareness and reflection may prompt individuals to reassess their preferences and strengths.
Each of the team roles has strengths and associated potential weaknesses. When we overplay a strength, others might perceive it as a weakness. For example, having a high level of attention to detail may be seen as a strength. If we overplay our attention to detail, others might see it as a bit fussy or pedantic. Belbin terms this an Allowable Weakness – a weakness that may be perceived or exist but has little impact on the work the team is undertaking.
When one of the team members demonstrates behavioural strength to an extreme, there is an increased risk that it can become a non-allowable weakness or significantly impact the team or organisation.
For example, suppose a Completer Finisher takes an extended amount of time perfecting what should be a one-page draft report. In that case, it might have a more significant negative impact on others in the team who may see this as a “wasted effort”.
If someone has completed a Belbin Self Perception Report, there is an option to gather Observer Assessments. These observations provide further feedback from your line manager and colleagues, leading to a more rounded, robust report. Feedback is collected online through the Observer Assessment form. Observer feedback can provide the individual with a greater understanding of how others perceive their behaviour and whether there may be alignment in views or differences of opinion, all of which can help us better understand our own behaviour in a team context.
Belbin Team Role Observer feedback can be anonymous or disclosed, depending on user/client preference for each organisation, team or individual.
Two typical scenarios:
- Anonymous Observer Feedback – In some cases, organisations or teams may choose to keep observer feedback completely anonymous. This means the person providing feedback is not identified, and their responses are aggregated with those of other observers. The idea is that anonymity may encourage greater openness and more honest feedback.
- Disclosed Observer Feedback – Where organisations design the feedback process to be disclosed, each person providing feedback is named on the observer reports for summary feedback on team role style. Specific words or phrases of people’s feedback are never disclosed, as these are aggregated and included in the overall feedback. Disclosed feedback can help gain a more detailed self-awareness and open up more direct communication with each observer. There may be a risk with disclosed feedback that people may decide to “temper” this or be less open or candid with their feedback.
Ultimately, the decision on anonymous or disclosed feedback sits with each organisation or user and is typically influenced by the primary purpose of the feedback report and the context of the feedback process, i.e. where the current level of trust and openness within the team might be very high or very low.
As part of any consultation and reporting process, we always discuss options and agree on the best possible delivery outcome.
A Self-Perception Inventory on its own provides useful insight, but it’s just one perspective. To get the full picture, we strongly recommend adding Observer feedback to validate or challenge your own self perception.
The 3 ‘Social’ roles are:
- Team Worker (Supporting and helping people)
- Resource Investigator (Communicating or networking with people), and
- Co-ordinator (Collaborating and guiding people towards common goals).
The 3 ‘Thinking’ roles are:
- Plant (Creative thinking),
- Monitor Evaluator (Logic and Rationale), and
- Specialist (Depth of knowledge).
The 3 ‘Action’ roles are:
- Shaper (Getting things done quickly)
- Implementer (Delivering tasks efficiently in line with the process) and
- Completer Finisher (Delivering work to high quality standards).
There may be occasions when a team works together, and there is no strong example of a particular team role, but it may be required for the team’s work.
A ‘team role sacrifice’ is where someone might rate as average or lower for that team role, but they play that role in the team – effectively sacrificing themselves for the team’s greater good.
When this happens, it is helpful to make sure everyone is aware that while the person may not have this role as a natural strength, they will be “doing their best”, so it may not be something they excel at.
It helps if other team members and line managers are aware of the extra effort that this person requires to manage expectations so they are not expecting someone to be brilliant at something which is not their natural strength.
In Belbin Team Role Theory, the terms “least preferred,” “manageable,” and “preferred” roles are used to describe an individual’s natural or preferred team role tendencies.
These concepts help identify how individuals contribute to a team and indicate the team roles they may feel most or least effective at in a team. Identifying preferred/manageable / least preferred roles can help individuals and teams understand strengths and areas for improvement to maximise overall team effectiveness. It can also encourage greater self-awareness and promote better communication, collaboration, and task allocation.
Least Preferred Roles refers to any roles in which an individual may feel less comfortable or effective when working as part of a team. It highlights the team roles that an individual might prefer to avoid or find more challenging. Identifying ‘Least Preferred Roles’ can help with personal or team development by assisting individuals to understand areas where they may need additional support to be effective in the role or where it might be better to work with someone else with this team role as a strength.
Manageable Roles are team roles that an individual can perform adequately but may not come as naturally or comfortably as their preferred roles. Individuals may be competent in a manageable role but might not excel or feel as enthusiastic about this role compared to Preferred Roles. Understanding manageable roles can be valuable for building versatility and adaptability within a team, especially when faced with diverse tasks and challenges or where the team may be lacking in the strengths of one or more of the team roles.
Preferred Roles are the team roles that an individual naturally gravitates towards, feels most comfortable in and typically excels at. It represents roles where an individual is likely to make their greatest contribution and find the work most fulfilling and energising. Understanding preferred roles can be crucial for optimising team dynamics, enabling individuals to play to their strengths and contribute most effectively to the overall team’s success.
The purpose of a team can often have a bearing on actual or optimum team size, like a football team versus a basketball team, for example. However, in broad terms, Belbin’s Theory suggests that an optimum team size is typically 4 to 6 people, ideally with an even number of team members preferred, as this can help to encourage consensus-based decision-making rather than working to a majority vote.
There should be enough people in the team to cover all the required team roles/skills, but it should not be so large a team that team members don’t get an opportunity to contribute fully.
While Belbin’s Theory suggests that all 9 Team Roles should ideally be present for a team to be as effective as possible, the reality, however, is that the optimum team role composition depends on the purpose(s), primary goal(s) or objective(s) of the team. You may not need all nine team roles represented for a particular purpose or task or throughout a task or project.
For example, if the primary purpose of a team was to organise and implement a new filing system, you may not need the behaviours of a Resource Investigator (who is outgoing, talkative, etc.) as much as a Completer-Finisher (with attention to detail) or Implementer (who is practical and organised).
While it’s not mandatory, Accreditation is highly recommended for anyone using Belbin reports regularly. Accreditation ensures you’re interpreting and applying the reports correctly and get the most out of them.
Belbin Team Role Theory can be applied and used in different countries and cultures.
The framework was developed based on extensive research conducted by Dr Meredith Belbin, and its principles are designed to be adaptable and applicable across diverse cultural contexts. There are Belbin Licensed Distributors in over 30 different countries – we deliver Belbin in the Scotland area. To find other distributors, visit the Belbin HQ page here.
Here are some considerations for using Belbin in different countries or cultures:
- Universal Team Dynamics – The fundamental principles of Belbin Team Role Theory focus on understanding universal, behavioural team dynamics and how individuals contribute to team effectiveness. These principles are not culture-specific and can be applied across any cultural setting.
- Adaptability – Belbin is a flexible framework that can be adapted to suit different organisational cultures and working environments. Belbin provides a common language for understanding and discussing team dynamics that go beyond cultural differences.
- Cultural Sensitivity – While the core concepts of Belbin are universally applicable, it’s essential to be context and culturally sensitive. Considerations such as communication styles, hierarchy, and decision-making processes may vary across cultures, and teams should be mindful of nuances for any given culture, organisation, team or individual.
- Localisation – Organisations may choose to use local training providers, materials, and resources to make them more culturally relevant. This includes producing Belbin reports in different languages, translating materials into the local language or incorporating culturally specific examples or case studies.
- Cross-Cultural Teams – Belbin can be particularly useful when working in cross-cultural teams, helping team members understand each other’s working styles and strengths using a shared, common language – Belbin. Awareness of cultural differences and supporting this with Belbin Theory and Belbin Reports can enhance the effectiveness of team collaboration.
- Cultural Diversity – Belbin’s emphasis on the diversity of Team Roles aligns with the benefits of having a culturally diverse team. Different cultural perspectives and behaviours can contribute to a richer mix of strengths within the team.
- Team Building Exercises – Team-building exercises based on Belbin principles can be customised to accommodate cultural differences and considerations. This can ensure activities are relevant and resonate with team members from different, cultural backgrounds.
- Leadership Development – Belbin Reports can further acknowledge behavioural variations in leadership styles and apply this in a cultural context. Understanding and appreciating diverse leadership approaches can contribute to more effective leadership in multicultural teams.
- Global Organisations – Belbin is used by many global organisations and hugely diverse cultural contexts. Belbin’s versatility makes it applicable in multi-national companies with teams spanning different countries, regions and backgrounds.
- Cross-Cultural Communication – Belbin can help improve cross-cultural communication by providing insights into different communication styles associated with specific Team Roles which can enhance collaboration in multicultural settings.
Yes. Belbin assessments are underpinned by over 40 years of research. Studies have shown strong reliability and validity levels, especially when both self-perception and Observer feedback are included.
Absolutely. Belbin complements frameworks like Tuckman’s stages of team development or Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership by offering greater understanding of behavioural style in a different context.
Yes. Belbin GetSet reports are specifically designed for students or people who are at early stage in their careers, typically aged from 16 to 25 . It helps younger people understand their strengths and how to contribute effectively in an educational or workplace setting.
Yes. In fact, it can be useful to retake the assessment over time to track changes in behaviour or role preferences as your job or team evolves. We typically recommend a report is updated every couple of years to keep it up to date and valid.
Not at all. Belbin can be applied in any team environment, from sports and voluntary groups to family businesses and student projects. Anywhere people need to work together, Belbin can be used help build better teams.
Belbin Team Roles Theory is a framework developed by Dr Meredith Belbin that helps understand and categorise individual behavioural roles within a team.
A British researcher and management theorist, Dr Belbin, conducted extensive research during the 1970s and 1980s to identify team behaviour patterns and determine how individuals contribute to team effectiveness.
The core concept of Belbin Team Roles Theory is that individuals have preferred roles or behavioural patterns which they naturally adopt when working in a team.
Dr. Belbin identified Nine distinct Team Roles, each with its characteristics, strengths, and potential weaknesses.
These roles, along with a summary of their contribution to a team, are:
- Coordinator (CO): This person focuses on the bigger picture and team objectives. He or she effectively delegated and maintained team cohesion.
- Shaper (SH): Dynamic, driven and goal-oriented. Challenges the team to improve and overcome obstacles.
- Plant (PL): Creative and innovative thinker, who generates new ideas and solutions.
- Monitor Evaluator (ME): Analytical, logical and objective. Provides critical analysis and sound decision-making.
- Team Worker (TW): Cooperative and diplomatic. Promotes team harmony and fosters collaboration within the team.
- Resource Investigator (RI): Outgoing, enthusiastic and optimistic. Explores external opportunities, brings in new ideas and resources.
- Implementer (IMP): Practical and disciplined. Adept at turning plans into action to ensures task are completed efficiently.
- Completer Finisher (CF): Detail-oriented, perfectionist. Ensures tasks are finished to a very high standard.
- Specialist (SP): Provides in-depth knowledge and expertise in a specific area.
Understanding and applying Team Role Theory can help individuals and teams to recognise and play to strengths, minimise weaknesses and identify potential areas for development.
Belbin Theory suggests that building balanced teams with an appropriate mix of the right team roles for the work required, can help to create high performing teams. Belbin Team Roles Theory is widely used in organisations for team building, leadership development and improving team dynamics.
Belbin Team Role Theory originated from the work of Dr Meredith Belbin, a British researcher and management theorist.
Dr Belbin began his research in the 1970s at Henley Management College in the United Kingdom.
The primary objective was to identify and understand the behavioural dynamics within teams in the workplace. Belbin and his research team conducted extensive studies, observing how individuals behaved in team settings and to identify recurring patterns of behaviour.
The result of the research was the development of the Belbin Team Role Theory, which categorises individuals into distinct roles based on their preferred ways of interacting with others and contributing to team objectives. The original research and refinement of Belbin Team Role Theory led to the identification of nine key roles, each with its own set of characteristics, strengths, and potential weaknesses.
These roles are Coordinator, Shaper, Plant, Monitor Evaluator, Team Worker, Resource Investigator, Implementer, Completer Finisher, and Specialist.
The initial aim was to discover what made some teams perform well while others struggled, regardless of having bright and capable individuals. The research team at Henley Management College brought together experts in psychology, management theory and psychometric testing to observe how teams worked and crucially, which combinations of different behaviours led to team success.
Through rigorous observation and analysis of team interactions during management exercises, Meredith Belbin and his colleagues found clear patterns in how different individuals behaved. These patterns eventually formed nine clusters of behaviour – what we now know as the Belbin Team Roles. Each role has associated strengths and allowable weaknesses and plays a unique part in team success.
The Belbin Team Role model was first introduced to the wider public in 1981 in Meredith Belbin’s influential book, Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail. The book has since become a classic in management literature and laid the foundation for the global use of the Belbin model in workplaces today.
Belbin Reports are personalised behavioural assessments that map out an individual’s Team Role preferences. Developed in the 1980s and refined over time, reports are based on the Belbin Self-Perception Inventory, which gathers both self-assessment and peer feedback (Observer Assessments). Today, Belbin Reports can also be used for a wide range of areas including team development, job profiling, candidate recruitment and leadership development.
The definition of a team according to Belbin;
‘A limited number of people, selected to work together, with each person making a distinct or unique contribution towards a common goal.’
Belbin’s Team Role Theory is highly credible. It is based on over 50 years of ongoing research and development. Over 3 million Belbin reports have been generated by thousands of different companies and organisations globally.
Belbin Self-Perception Reports do not have formal psychometric measures, so traditional validity and reliability measures may be less directly relevant.
Belbin Team Role reports are based on self-perception. Given that the validity of the report largely depends on the accuracy of self-assessment and participants’ understanding of their own behaviours, provided the respondent answers truthfully and accurately, reports should have a high level of “validity.”
Reliability refers to the consistency of measurement. Belbin reports that reliability can be influenced by factors such as the stability of an individual’s Team Role preferences over time and the consistency of their response.
With any assessment tool, we always recommend that reports be used/interpreted by someone with an appropriate level of understanding and training.
We also recommend considering a broader approach to understanding individual and team dynamics, such as management learning, motivational, communication styles and other measures or metrics, including cognitive ability, IQ, emotional intelligence, or situational judgement.
Belbin Scotland offers training workshops and even a full three-day Belbin Accreditation for any users of Belbin who want to move closer to the ‘expert level’.
During the original research, observations on team behaviour were made as teams took part in different team based exercises.
A pattern was identified when a team might struggle to come up with new solutions or different ways to solve a problem.
Analysis showed that a team that might be lacking a naturally creative, innovative, ideas type person to help solve the lack of creativity in a team and address the problem during the research process, to build a more effective team, someone with a cluster of creative behaviours “planted” into the team to help generate new, ideas, which lead to the term “Plant”.
The original research identified eight distinct team roles: Plant, Resource Investigator, Team Worker, Co-ordinator, Monitor Evaluator, Shaper, Completer Finisher and Implementer.
The ‘Specialist’ was added as a result of ongoing research, when it became apparent that the behavioural ability of someone to provide depth of knowledge had been overlooked.
While a team will require subject matter knowledge, to be highly effective, a team can really benefit from having someone who excels with this behavioural ability – someone who soaks up information on a topic like a “sponge” and adds value through sharing their specialist knowledge.
Absolutely. Belbin is possibly more relevant than ever in today’s fast-changing, collaborative workplaces. The Belbin model is used across a huge range of industries and sectors worldwide to help teams work more effectively, improve communication and reduce conflict. Belbin’s continued evolution of the Belbin Reports, Interplace System and supporting materials has kept Belbin current.
Belbin is used in over 100 countries and translated into multiple languages. It’s applied in businesses, schools, universities, the public sector, the third sector – anywhere teams work together. Belbin Scotland is the official and only Licensed Distribitor in Scotland, supporting organisations of all sizes and sectors to harness the power of Belbin Team Roles for practical, evidence-based team development solutions.
While the core of the model – the nine Team Roles – has remained the same, the applications have grown.
Today, Belbin isn’t just about team building. It’s used in different areas including:
Recruitment – Matching people to roles based on behavioural fit.
Leadership development – Helping leaders understand their strengths and blind spots.
Conflict resolution – Providing a shared language to navigate workplace tension.
Organisational culture – Building teams that value diversity of thought and contribution.
To find out your own Belbin Team Role profile, you can complete a Belbin Self Assessment report, with the option for gathering observer feedback from 4 to 6 people you know or work with. It takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and the Belbin Interplace reporting system can be set up to email a copy of your report immediately upon completion or once the observer’s feedback has been completed.
There isn’t a free version of the Belbin Report available. Depending on your needs, we may offer a free report (or reports) as a trial or sample. Contact Us today if you’d like to discuss this. For example, if your organisation is considering using Belbin Team Role Reports and wants to assess or compare this to other reports on the market. If you are a charity or not-for-profit business, we may offer free reports or help. |
Completing a Belbin report is straightforward.
- Belbin Scotland sends you a link to complete the report on the online Belbin reporting system – Interpace.
- It takes 10 – 15 minutes to complete the self-assessment questionnaire, which you should complete in a single session.
- We can set up The Belbin Interplace reporting system to send reports out automatically once completed to the participant and/or other nominated contacts, such as their Line Manager or HR function, for example.
- Reports can be accessed and resent electronically at any time or printed and handed out during a workshop or training session.
The standard cost for Belbin Reports is as follows (all costs exclude VAT)
- Belbin Self Perception Report £49.00
- Belbin Self Perception with Observers Report £49.00
- Belbin Team Profile Report £98.00
- Belbin Working Relationship Report £24.50
- Belbin Job Profile Report £49.00
- Belbin Job Comparison Report £24.50
- Belbin ‘Get Set’ Report £24.50
Discounts are available based on volume or for organisations in the Charity / Not-for-profit / Education or similar sectors.
Click here to buy reports or contact us to inquire about a discount.
If you want to buy smaller numbers of Belbin reports, i.e. ten reports or less, you can buy them online by clicking here.
If you need more than ten reports, please contact us, and we will discuss your particular needs so we can deliver the best, most cost-effective solution for you. We’ll also consider discounts for higher volume requirements, Charities / Not-for-profit Organisations / Schools / Colleges / Universities, or similar organisations.
Anyone can purchase or use Belbin reports. Accreditation is usually only recommended for regular report usage or for anyone who really wants to get the most from the application of Belbin reports or improve the value gained back in the workplace. You can find details of Belbin Accreditation here. |
In addition to the various Belbin Team Role Reports, a wealth of supporting Belbin materials is available for individuals, teams or organisations.
Free Resources – Belbin Scotland offers a range of free resources, including sample reports, explainer videos, articles, case studies, webinars and additional materials that support the application of Belbin Team Role Theory.
Paid Resources – A range of materials are available for purchase, including Contribute – A Belbin Team Game, DVD – Fire Toast and Teamwork, A1-sized Belbin Team Wheels and Belbin Team Conversation Cards.
Books – Dr Meredith Belbin has written several books on the subject of Team Roles, including “Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail” and “Team Roles at Work.” His books provide in-depth insights into his Theory, practical applications, and case studies.
Training Workshops – Belbin Scotland offers a range of training workshops, seminars and webinars. These sessions include interactive exercises, group discussions and practical application of Belbin Team Role Theory.
Belbin Accreditation – Belbin offers accreditation courses for individuals who want to become certified practitioners. These courses provide a deeper understanding of the Belbin Theory, assessment techniques and facilitation skills needed to use the Belbin Team Role Theory in various contexts. Accreditation slides and enhanced Belbin materials are made available to accredited people.
The Interplace system automates the completion and production of the various Belbin reports. Belbin Scotland can manage this o we can give full access to our clients to allow the organisation or individual to self-manage the entire reporting process.
The Interplace system is easy to use, requiring minimal training to produce Belbin reports. As Interplace produces your reports, it will deduct pre-ordered units/credits from the system depending on which report you run.
Once credits run out, they can be topped up by purchasing via credit or debit card or added and invoiced by Belbin Scotland.
Contact us for more details or if you would like a no-obligation Interplace system demo.
Belbin offers accredited training and workshops for anyone wanting to use Belbin in more depth or regularly. Accreditation workshops last three days and provide a sound understanding of Belbin Team Role Theory, practical application and use of all the different Belbin reports.
Contact us today for accreditation workshop details, dates or costs.
You can use Belbin Reports to enhance self-awareness and improve team dynamics. You can use the report as a starting point for discussion, collaboration, ongoing communication and feedback. Here are some steps to effectively use the insights gained from your Belbin report:
- Understand Your Team Roles: Review the report to understand your preferred and manageable team roles. Identifying and playing to strengths can help you contribute more effectively to the team. Acknowledge potential weaknesses or areas for development and consider how you might best work on these.
- Communication: Your preferred team roles can influence your communication style and interactions with others. Adapting your communication style to suit other team members with different preferred roles can improve the impact and effectiveness of communication.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: Identify how your strengths can complement the roles of team members and fit the tasks and objectives of the team. Collaborative working can maximise each team member’s strengths and address team role gaps.
- Task Delivery: Discussing your Belbin report with your team leader or manager can help them understand your preferred roles so they can allocate tasks or responsibilities that are better aligned to suit your identified strengths or minimise areas of exposure where you may have a behavioural weakness.
- Professional Development: Using the insights from a Belbin report can guide your professional development by focusing on playing to strengths, working on your preferred or manageable roles and addressing areas that may need improvement.
- Team Dynamics: Sharing your Belbin report with your team and discussing how each member contributes based on their identified roles can build a deeper understanding of team dynamics.
- Feedback: Gathering Observer Feedback from colleagues can help improve self-awareness and minimise any blind spots you may have around your behaviours, especially perceived weaknesses that you may not see yourself.
- Career Planning: Consider Belbin in the context of career goals and try to align your career path with roles that allow you to play to your strengths, interests and knowledge.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly revisit your Belbin report, particularly when team dynamics change or when you take on a new role or responsibility so that you can adapt your approach as needed.
While behavioural tendencies can remain stable, significant changes in role, team composition, or organisational culture might influence your team role preferences. It’s advisable to retake the assessment during such transitions to ensure continued self-awareness and optimal team contribution. We suggest that reports would typically be valid from around 18 month to 2 years.
As long as you feel comfortable sharing your report, we recommend this. Sharing your report with your Line Manager or colleagues can lead to a greater understanding of your working style and preferences. This approach can help manage expectations, improve communication, motivation or delegation and reduce conflict. The decision to share your Belbin Team Role report or team roles profile with others may depend on various factors, including the purpose of sharing it, context, and comfort level. Some further considerations include
- Team Development – If the purpose of completing a Belbin assessment is team development, it’s common for team members to share their reports with each other. Open communication about Team Roles can contribute to better understanding and collaboration within the team.
- Leadership Development – If you use the Belbin assessment as part of leadership development or coaching, sharing your report with a coach or mentor can provide valuable insights. This can facilitate more open discussion about leadership/ management style and areas for growth.
- Job Interviews – Consider sharing relevant insights from your Belbin report during job interviews, especially if the job requires effective teamwork. Discussing your preferred Team Roles and how they align with the position’s requirements can be beneficial.
- Organisational Culture – For organisations that embrace openness and transparency, sharing Belbin reports can align with the culture and can be used to improve communication and collaboration across employees and teams.
- Personal Development – If your primary goal is personal development, you can share your Belbin report with trusted colleagues, friends, or mentors who can provide feedback and support in your growth journey.
- Team Building Activities – In team-building activities or workshops facilitated by certified Belbin practitioners, sharing Team Role profiles is often encouraged. It can foster open discussions about team dynamics and encourage individuals to appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Professional Context – Consider your industry’s professional context and norms. In some fields, sharing personality or team role assessments is standard; in others, it might be less customary.
Before sharing your Belbin report, it’s also advisable to know the level of confidentiality associated with your Belbin report. If you have privacy concerns or are uncomfortable sharing certain aspects, you can selectively share or keep the information private. Consider the purpose of sharing information and how it aligns with any goals. Finally, the preferences and comfort levels of the individuals or groups you might share.
It’s typically your decision whether to share your Belbin Report or not.
To make the most of a Belbin Team Role strength, it’s essential to fully understand the role(s) and use any strength effectively within a team context. Here are some points to consider:
- Understand your own Belbin Team Role strength. Reflect on how your naIdentifyinges align with the characteristics required for your role.
- Clearly explain your strengths to the team to help others understand how your Team Role strengths can contribute to the team’s success.
- Actively contribute in areas where your Team Role strengths are most valuable by taking more of a lead in tasks and responsibilities that align with your natural abilities.
- Collaborate with team members with complementary or opposite strengths, considering how your/their strengths can enhance and support team contribution.
- Offer guidance and support to team members who may benefit from your expertise by sharing knowledge and experience to foster overall team growth.
- Seek further opportunities for development in areas related to your Team Role strengths to enhance further and refine your skills to make an even more significant impact.
- Consider taking on supervisory, management or leadership responsibilities within the team if your strengths align with this.
- Provide feedback and encourage feedback from others. Actively seek input from team members on how your strengths contribute to the team’s success and where there might be further improvement.
- Remain adaptable in using your strengths in different contexts or situations, raising self-awareness to understand better how to apply strengths and when to allow others with different strengths to take more of a lead.
Key to a successful team is recognising your strengths and understanding how they fit into the larger team dynamic. By strategically applying your Belbin Team Role strengths and collaborating with others, you can contribute significantly to the team’s overall success.
Dr Meredith Belbin once said, “Nobody is perfect, but a team can be.”
Teams may not require all nine roles simultaneously. However, having access to a full and diverse range of team role behaviours can provide greater adaptability and ultimately, can improve results. Teams should aim for a balance that aligns with their purpose and objectives, while recognising and addressing any behavioural gaps that may exist.
There isn’t a single “best” Belbin Team Role, as the effectiveness of a role typically depends on the context of the team and any specific goal or task.
The strength of the Belbin model lies in the diversity of roles, with each contributing unique skills to a team.
The effectiveness of a team often lies in having a balance of roles or utilising certain roles at certain times.
For example, a Shaper might drive the team’s progress at the beginning of a project, and a Coordinator might steer the team towards a common goal over the longer term. A Plant might contribute creative solutions and ideas if the team gets stuck, and so on. The “best” roles depend on the specific requirements of the team’s tasks and goals and can vary over time or depending on the context of the work required at any given time.
The strength of a team often lies in its diversity, with members possessing a range of Belbin Team Roles, with each team role contributing a unique strength. As a guide, each team role can offer some of the following contributions to a successful team:
- Team Worker (TW): Team Workers can excel in promoting collaboration and maintaining a harmonious working environment. They contribute to positive group dynamics, facilitate communication and can enhance team morale.
- Completer Finisher (CF): Completer Finishers are detail-oriented individuals committed to ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard. Having team members with strong Completer Finisher qualities can ensure a high attention to detail and a focus on delivering quality outcomes.
- Implementer (IMP): Implementers are practical, disciplined and adept at turning plans into action. Implementers can ensure that ideas are executed in a practical manner, contributing to the team’s overall success through efficient task delivery.
- Resource Investigator (RI): Resource Investigators are adept at networking and exploring external opportunities. Having team members with strong RI skills can broaden the team’s perspectives, connect with external resources and keep the team informed about topics such as industry trends or customer feedback.
- Coordinator (CO): Coordinators are skilled at bringing people together and ensuring cohesive, collaborative teamwork. Team members with coordination skills can provide direction, help steer the team towards achieving common goals and promote unity among colleagues.
- Monitor Evaluator (ME): Team members with Monitor Evaluator characteristics provide valuable insights by objectively analysing and evaluating ideas. This can help the team make better-informed decisions, minimise risks and apply logic and rationale to resolve more complex or challenging problems.
- Shaper (SH): Shapers are dynamic, goal-oriented and thrive in challenging situations. Shapers can drive the team forward, maintain momentum and have a “can do / will do” attitude.
- Plant (PL): Plants are creative thinkers who generate innovative ideas and solutions. Strong Plant characteristics can help build a culture of innovation, offering different perspectives or creative solutions.
- Specialist (SP): Specialists bring in-depth knowledge and expertise to the team. Specialists can provide technical know-how that brings depth of understanding in critical areas.
Belbin’s theory suggests there are four pairs of opposite roles, as shown below, although several of the roles exhibit contrasting characteristics or approaches compared to others.
We recommend you consider each team role and how it may differ from each other’s roles rather than thinking about strict opposites. As a brief comparison;
Coordinator (CO) vs. Specialist (SP)
- Coordinator: Brings people together, ensures cohesive teamwork, big picture thinker.
- Specialist: Provides in-depth knowledge and expertise in specific areas, narrow-focus thinker.
Shaper (SH) vs. Team Worker (TW)
- Shaper: Dynamic, assertive, and goal-oriented.
- Team Worker: Emphasises collaboration and maintaining harmony within the team.
Resource Investigator (RI) vs. Completer Finisher (CF):
- Resource Investigator: Focuses on networking and exploring external opportunities.
- Completer Finisher: Ensures attention to detail and high-quality task completion.
Plant (PL) vs. Implementer (IMP):
- Plant: Creative thinker, that generates innovative ideas.
- Implementer: Practical and disciplined, turns plans into action.
Working with someone with an opposite Belbin Team Role type can sometimes be challenging or frustrating, but it can also be a beneficial strategy for building a well-rounded and high-performing team.
While individuals with opposite roles may have different approaches and strengths, collaboration can lead to a more comprehensive and balanced team dynamic.
Use the following steps as a guide to working with your opposite Belbin Team Role type:
- Be open and transparent with communication, clear about your strengths, preferences and working styles. Encourage your counterpart to reciprocate. Work out and agree on how you will communicate to ensure both parties are heard and understood and how you will accommodate your different styles.
- Identify and appreciate each other’s strengths. Recognise that your opposite type may excel in areas where you face challenges and vice versa.
- Work on building complementary strengths and minimising weaknesses to enhance your own, their and the team’s performance.
- Collaborate through engaging in joint discussion, problem-solving and decision-making and capitalise on the different perspectives and views.
- Be open to compromise and find common ground to achieve shared goals.
- Remain adaptable and willing to adjust working styles when necessary to accommodate each other, as flexibility can be vital to finding effective solutions that work for you both.
- Cultivate a culture of mutual respect through understanding each other’s styles and how diversity in team roles can be a strength rather than a hindrance if you can respect and value each team member’s unique contributions.
- Anticipate any potential areas of conflict and develop strategies for resolution by addressing conflict in a constructive, professional and timely manner to prevent this from escalating.
- View collaboration as a learning opportunity. Working with someone with an opposite Team Role style can help with personal and professional development as you adapt and learn from each other.
- Align and agree on shared goals and objectives. Clearly define the vision, mission, goals, etc and work towards common outcomes by ensuring that both individuals contribute meaningfully.
Don’t try to change the other person’s or your Team Role style. It’s more effective to focus on maximising the differences in style and strengths for the team’s benefit. Embracing diversity and finding ways to complement each other’s strengths can create more robust and effective working relationships.
In the Belbin Team Roles model, certain combinations of roles can work well together due to their complementary nature. Here are some examples:
Coordinator (CO) and Team Worker (TW) – Coordinators can provide direction and guidance, while Team Workers foster collaboration and maintain team harmony. This pairing often leads to a balanced and cohesive team.
Shaper (SH) and Completer Finisher (CF) – Shapers drive the team forward with determination, while Completer Finishers ensure attention to detail and high-quality task completion. This combination can result in both progress and precision.
Implementer (IMP) and Monitor Evaluator (ME) – Implementers are practical and disciplined in executing plans, while Monitor Evaluators provide analytical insights. Together, they create a balance between action and strategic decision-making.
Plant (PL) and Resource Investigator (RI) – Plants generate creative ideas, and Resource Investigators explore external opportunities. This combination brings innovation and external perspectives to the team.
Coordinator (CO) and Specialist (SP) – Coordinators bring people together, while Specialists provide in-depth knowledge. This pairing can lead to a well-informed and focused team.
Team Worker (TW) and Monitor Evaluator (ME) – Team Workers foster collaboration, while Monitor Evaluators provide objective analysis. Together, they balance maintaining team harmony and making informed decisions.
Resource Investigator (RI) and Completer Finisher (CF) – Resource Investigators explore external opportunities, while Completer Finishers ensure tasks are completed to a high standard. This pairing can bring in external insights while maintaining a focus on quality.
Shaper (SH) and Implementer (IMP) – Shapers provide drive and determination, and Implementers turn plans into action. This combination can lead to the effective execution of goals and objectives.
It’s important to note that these are general observations and successful teams typically consist of a diverse mix of all Belbin Team Roles
Belbin Team Role reports can be effectively used to assess and understand individuals who work in different teams or across various parts of an organisation. The versatility of the Belbin Team Role framework allows it to be applied to individuals working in diverse roles and contexts including:
- Individual Development – Belbin Reports provide insights into an individual’s preferred Team Roles and working styles. This information can be valuable for personal development, helping individuals understand their strengths and areas for improvement regardless of their team or department.
- Team Dynamics – When individuals from different teams or departments collaborate on projects, understanding their respective Team Roles can contribute to more effective team dynamics. It helps team members appreciate each other’s strengths and enhances overall collaboration.
- Cross-Functional Teams – In organisations where cross-functional teams are common, Belbin reports can be used to assist with team selection and composition. By strategically assembling teams with an appropriate mix of complementary Team Roles, organisations play to the collective strengths of the team.
- Leadership Development – Belbin reports can be useful in identifying individuals with leadership potential across different parts of the organisation. Leadership development programs can be tailored to enhance and build upon leadership skills associated with specific Team Roles.
- Communication and Collaboration – Understanding the Team Roles of individuals working in different teams can improve communication and collaboration. Balbin provides a common language for discussing working styles and managing expectations, leading to a more cohesive organisational culture.
- Project Teams – When individuals from different parts of the organisation come together for specific projects, Belbin reports can guide the formation of project teams. This ensures a balance of Team Roles to effectively address various aspects of the project.
- Strategic Planning – In strategic planning or organisational development initiatives, Belbin reports can comprehensively understand the strengths and potential gaps in the collective Team Roles within the organisation.
- Talent Management – Belbin reports can be part of a talent management process, helping to identify new talent and tap into the diverse behavioural strengths of employees across different teams and functions.
- Change Management – During periods of change, understanding the Team Roles of individuals in various teams or departments can help to handle change management and transition processes. Organisations and teams can use Belbin team reports to ensure teams have the right behavioural attributes and are well-equipped to collaborate effectively.
By applying Belbin Team Role reports across different teams, functions or business units, organisations can develop a common language for a more consistent understanding of team dynamics and enhance collaboration among individuals with diverse strengths. This can contribute to building a more cohesive and effective organisational culture overall.
While Belbin Team Roles are versatile and found in every profession or job, it’s important to note that individuals can exhibit a range of Team Roles.
The effectiveness of someone in a role or a team often depends on having a broader balance of roles.
We have provided some generic examples and observations about how certain Team Roles may align well with specific professions or occupations. However, it is important to emphasise that these are generalisations.
- Accounting – Implementer / Completer Finisher
Due to the need for accuracy and attention to detail in accounting, individuals with strong Implementer qualities may excel in ensuring that financial processes are executed precisely.
- Engineering – Plant / Monitor Evaluator
Engineers often require creativity to develop innovative solutions and logical analysis to objectively assess potential solutions to achieve the best overall solution. Plants can contribute unique ideas to problem-solving, and the Monitor Evaluator, given the analytical nature of engineering work, may excel in evaluating and making more informed decisions.
- Sales / Business Development – Resource Investigator / Shaper
Sales or BD professionals often need to build connections and explore and close out opportunities. Resource Investigators may excel in networking and identifying potential leads. Individuals with Shaper qualities may effectively drive sales initiatives, overcome challenges and close deals.
- Design / Marketing – Resource Investigator / Plant
Design or Marketing orientated professionals often need to stay updated on market trends and consumer behaviour. Resource Investigators may excel in gathering information and exploring opportunities. Creativity can be crucial in design or marketing. Individuals with Plant characteristics may contribute innovative ideas for campaigns and strategies.
- Management – Coordinator / Shaper
Managers often play a coordinating role when setting goals and facilitating communication for their team. Coordinators can excel in providing direction and promoting team cohesion. Effective managers may need to drive results and make tough decisions that are aligned with Shaper’s qualities.
- Healthcare – Team Worker / Completer Finisher
Given the caring nature of healthcare, Team Workers may contribute to fostering harmony and effective communication within teams and to patients. In healthcare, attention to detail can be crucial. Individuals with Completer Finisher qualities may excel in ensuring accuracy in patient care/treatments.
- Information Technology (IT) – Implementer / Specialist
IT professionals often play a crucial role in executing projects and implementing systems. Individuals with Implementer characteristics may excel in ensuring the practical aspects of IT projects are delivered. The Specialist’s in-depth knowledge of complex IT systems can also add value.
Absolutely. Belbin Team Roles can be particularly valuable in new start-up businesses or newly formed teams. Implementing Belbin Team Roles at the early stages of a start-up or for a new team can provide a structured and insightful approach to team dynamics, helping to create a foundation for effective collaboration, communication, and success.
Certain areas in which Belbin is helpful are:
- Role Clarification – In a new team or business, there might be increased uncertainty about individual roles and responsibilities. Belbin Team Roles provide a structured framework for clarifying and understanding each team member’s preferred roles in a team.
- Team Building – Belbin Team Roles can be used in team-building exercises to help members get to know each other’s strengths and working styles. This improved understanding can help build a positive team dynamic from the outset.
- Task Allocation – By identifying individual Team Roles, task allocation can become more strategic, tactical and effective. Playing to each member’s strengths helps to ensure tasks align with their natural preferences and capabilities.
- Enhanced Communication – Understanding the different communication styles associated with each Team Role can lead to more effective and open communication within the team from the start.
- Balanced Team Composition – During the initial stages of forming a new business or team, it is crucial to establish an appropriate balance for effective team composition. Belbin Team Roles can guide the selection of team members to ensure they achieve a suitably diverse mix of skills and strengths.
- Conflict Resolution – Understanding and acknowledging potential conflict areas, such as team roles of opposite types, can help teams proactively address and resolve issues before they escalate or even appear.
- Decision Making – Team members with diverse Team Roles can contribute broader perspectives to the decision-making process. Diversity of thought can improve the overall quality of decision-making within the team or business.
- Adaptability – In the dynamic environment of a new business or team, adaptability can be critical. Understanding Team Roles can help team members adapt to changing circumstances and tasks more effectively.
- Leadership Development – Belbin Team Roles can assist in identifying emerging leaders or supervisors with leadership qualities in a new team who could better support future development and growth.
- Innovation – The creative and innovative qualities associated with certain Team Roles (e.g., Plant or Resource Investigator) can help with innovation and fresh ideas, which can be crucial for new businesses seeking to differentiate themselves or provide creative solutions to clients.
- Building Trust – As team members become increasingly aware of each other’s Belbin strengths, trust can be established more quickly, contributing to a positive team culture.
Belbin Team Roles reports, including ‘Get Set’, have practical applications in the educational setting. They can assist teachers and lecturers in forming student project groups that complement each other’s strengths, leading to the formation of balanced teams.
Moreover, understanding their own and others’ team roles can enable students to communicate more effectively, thereby improving collaboration and teamwork. This Team can also provide students with insights into their own strengths and working styles, fostering self-awareness and building transferable skills.
By understanding different behavioural styles, teachers or lecturers can create improved learning sessions or exercises that are better suited to individuals or consider the overall style of the class or group.
Not at all. Belbin can be used successfully in any team environment, from remote and hybrid teams to education, healthcare, manufacturing, the third sector and many more. Wherever people need to collaborate, communicate and work together towards a goal, Belbin can add value.
Belbin’s Theory and principles are equally valid for in-person, hybrid, virtual or remote working teams. If anything, working remotely arguably increases the need for everyone to understand team colleagues’ behavioural strengths better as much less time can be spent working in person together. Belbin reports can help us understand the strengths and weaknesses of each individual and the collective team to improve the effectiveness of virtual teamwork. |
Effective leadership often involves diverse skills and attributes that can vary depending on the purpose or context.
The Belbin Team Role model has nine distinct roles, each contributing something different to a leadership role.
Rather than any one team role being the best, we suggest a combination of several is best for any given situation. Successful leaders should also be able to adapt their leadership style based on the team’s needs and the nature of any task, goal or objective.
A well-rounded leader may exhibit qualities from multiple Belbin Team Roles, creating a more balanced and effective approach to leadership.
As a quick guide;
- Coordinator (CO): Coordinators excel in bringing people together and ensuring the team works cohesively towards a common goal. Leaders with strong coordination skills can provide direction, help reduce conflict, and achieve a sense of unity among the team.
- Shaper (SH): Shapers are dynamic and thrive in challenging situations. Shapers are often decisive, assertive, and goal-oriented. As leaders, they can help drive the team forward, maintain momentum, and overcome obstacles with determination.
- Plant (PL): Plants are creative and innovative thinkers who can often generate different ideas. Leaders with strong Plant characteristics can inspire their team with fresh perspectives and develop a culture of innovation and problem-solving.
- Monitor Evaluator (ME): Monitor Evaluators working in a leadership role offer the ability to analyse and evaluate ideas objectively. They can provide valuable insight, help make more informed decisions, mitigate risks and navigate complexities effectively.
- Team Worker (TW): Team Workers are skilled at promoting collaboration and maintaining a harmonious team environment. Leaders with a Team Worker style can build strong interpersonal relationships, improve communication and enhance overall team morale.
- Resource Investigator (RI): Resource Investigators are adept at networking and exploring external opportunities. This role is valuable for leaders seeking to broaden the team’s perspectives, connect with external resources or stay informed about external issues such as industry trends or changing customer requirements.
- Implementer (IMP): Implementers are practical and disciplined individuals who ensure the team execute plans efficiently. Implementer Leaders contribute to the team’s success by turning ideas into tangible actions and results.
- Completer Finisher (CF): High attention to detail and a commitment to ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard are characteristics of the Completer Finisher. As a Leader, they can help the team strive for excellence and achievement of quality-based goals.
- Specialist (SP): Specialists bring in-depth knowledge and expertise to the team. Leaders demonstrating Specialist traits can provide valuable insights in specific areas, technical “know how”, contributing depth of knowledge to problem-solving and decision-making processes.
Absolutely. Belbin reports can significantly enhance your effectiveness if you’re a supervisor, manager, or leader. They can help you better understand your own behavioural style and preferences, enabling you to develop your strengths and manage your weaknesses more effectively. Additionally, understanding the team role preferences of your team can assist you in motivating, delegating, and communicating with each team member more effectively. By taking into account their preferences and adapting your approach to suit each individual. |
Belbin Team Roles provide leaders with a framework to understand their behavioural strengths and potential blind spots. By recognising their preferred roles, leaders can adapt their style to meet team needs, delegate more effectively, and build a team working an environment where diverse contributions are valued. Increased self-awareness can help deliver a more authentic leadership style to enhance team performance.
By identifying the behavioural requirements of a role and comparing them with candidates’ Belbin profiles, organisations can make more informed hiring decisions. This approach ensures a better fit between the individual’s natural tendencies and the role’s demands, leading to increased job satisfaction and performance.
Identifying each team member’s preferred roles and strengths can allow a Project Manager or Leader to allocate tasks and responsibilities more effectively by taking into account natural abilities and style differences.
Having the right behavioural mix in the team at different points in a project can ensure teams are better balanced and suited to the particular requirements at any one time.
By understanding individual and team preferences, organisations can enhance communication and collaboration.
Belbin reports can help identify potential areas of potential conflict based on opposing or different work styles, allowing Project Managers to address issues and find resolutions proactively.
Reports can also provide insights into leadership or management style, which helps Project Managers identify natural leaders within the team or delegate tasks more effectively.
Belbin Team Roles can be valuable tools for effectively managing process improvement or change initiatives within a team. Here are some tips:
- Form a diverse team with an appropriate mix of Belbin Team Roles suited to the team’s specific purpose, task or goal. Ensure the team includes individuals with strengths in critical delivery areas such as implementation, creativity, analysis or project coordination.
- Balance the team composition and adapt this over time to cover a range of roles that address specific improvement or change process elements.
- Assign specific Belbin Team Roles to critical activities within the process improvement or change initiative. For instance, a Shaper might be responsible for driving change, an Implementer for executing plans, and a Monitor Evaluator for analysing results.
- Make the most of the strengths of each Team Role – use the creativity of Plants for generating innovative ideas, the analytical skills of Monitor Evaluators for evaluating potential options and the practicality of Implementers for executing plans and setting up change management processes.
- Team Workers and Resource Investigators can be crucial in maintaining open communication and ensuring that team members are aligned and informed about any change process or improvement. Use their strengths to build a positive, collaborative and engaged working environment.
Recognise that individuals may respond differently to change. Resource Investigators can be valuable in understanding and addressing resistance by exploring external perspectives and opportunities, while Implementers may be more naturally resistant to change.
Coordinators can effectively oversee the overall project and ensure that team members work together towards common goals. The ability of a Shaper to drive forward can be instrumental in maintaining focus, direction and pace.
Completer Finishers can ensure attention to detail towards the middle/end of the change process. Their meticulous approach helps to avoid errors and ensure that the process improvement is carried out to high standards.
Conducting regular assessments when there is a change in personnel or team dynamics using the Belbin Team Role can help identify any gaps or areas where specific roles may be required, or the team may need additional support.
Recognising the need for flexibility as different phases of a process improvement or change initiative may require a distinct emphasis on specific Belbin Team Roles. Remain adaptable in assigning roles based on the evolving needs of the project rather than having fixed tasks and responsibilities.
Specialists can provide in-depth knowledge in specific areas critical to the process improvement, so encourage continuous learning and knowledge sharing from them among other team members.
By strategically applying the Belbin Team Roles Theory and principles, organisations can create dynamic and well-rounded teams that are better equipped to manage the complexities of process improvement or change initiatives. The Belbin model can help to ensure that a delivery team works cohesively towards achieving the desired outcomes.
Absolutely. Belbin offers a neutral language to discuss behavioural differences, shifting the focus away from personal attributes towards understanding team contributions. By understanding the diverse roles and their associated strengths and weaknesses, teams can navigate conflicts more constructively and appreciate the value each member brings.
Yes. Recognising each member’s preferred communication style, which is normally influenced by their top team roles, can enhance clarity and reduce misunderstandings. For example, a Plant might prefer more fluid, idea based discussions, while a Monitor Evaluator may prefer more focused, structured discussions. Aligning communication methods with any behavioural style preferences can improve interactions.
You can use a Belbin Team Role report to improve your CV (Curriculum Vitae) or resume in several ways. Incorporating elements from your Belbin report can provide potential employers with valuable information about your behavioural skills and strengths.
Here are some tips on integrating Belbin Team Role information into your CV:
- Create a dedicated section highlighting your top Belbin Team Roles. Mention your top two or three team roles and briefly describe the characteristics of each role.
- Use the information from your Belbin report to identify your key strengths and contributions within a team. Highlight specific achievements or projects where your team role provided significant, more tangible examples to support this.
- Emphasise the skills and abilities associated with your Belbin Team Role. For instance, if your primary role is coordinator, highlight team leadership, conflict resolution, and goal-setting skills.
- Use your Belbin report to demonstrate your adaptability and versatility. Mention how you adapt to different roles depending on the team’s needs, task or project.
- Emphasise leadership, management or supervisory experience you have had and demonstrate how it aligns with your top Team Role characteristics to showcase your leadership or management style.
- If your Belbin Team Role reflects strengths in problem-solving or decision-making (e.g., Plant, Monitor Evaluator), provide examples in your CV demonstrating your creative or analytical skills, and ability to solve problems or make informed decisions.
- Describe specific achievements or instances where your Team Roles have positively impacted team performance, project outcomes or organisational success.
- Always tailor your CV to the specific job descriptions by emphasising aspects of your Belbin Team Role that align with the behavioural requirements of the position.
By integrating Belbin Team Role information seamlessly into your CV, you can demonstrate how your behavioural strengths can contribute to effective team collaboration and success, which should help increase your chance of being asked to attend an interview. See the FAQ on interviewing in this section for tips for those next steps.
Yes, this is an excellent use of Belbin.
A Belbin Team Role report can provide insights into your preferred working styles, strengths, and areas for development within a team context, and you can use this information to help you prepare and improve answers to behavioural-based interview questions in particular. Here are some areas you can focus on:
- Self-awareness – Use your Belbin report to understand better your preferred Team Roles and how you contribute to a team. This self-awareness can help you confidently articulate your strengths and working style during interviews.
- Highlight Relevant Team Roles – Identify the Team Roles from your Belbin report that align with the job requirements you’re interviewing for. Emphasise these roles when discussing your experiences and contributions.
- Provide Examples – Use specific examples from your professional experiences to illustrate how you’ve demonstrated certain Team Roles. Share success stories that showcase your ability to work effectively in different capacities within a team.
- Address Potential Weaknesses – If your Belbin report identifies potential areas for development or roles that are less preferred, be prepared to discuss how you actively work on improving those aspects. Show awareness and a commitment to professional growth.
- Collaboration – Discuss instances where you’ve successfully collaborated with others, demonstrating your understanding of team dynamics. Use your Belbin insights to articulate how you adapt to different roles within a team for optimal outcomes.
- Leadership Style – If the role you are applying for requires demonstration of leadership qualities, share examples of how you’ve effectively led teams or projects and what your leadership style is. Highlight specific achievements that showcase your Belbin strengths as leadership skills.
- Adaptability – Emphasise your adaptability by referencing instances where you’ve adapted your style and taken on different roles within a team, aligned to your Belbin strengths.
While a Belbin report provides valuable insights, it’s essential to integrate this information naturally into your responses without appearing scripted. Tailor examples and responses to align with the specific requirements of each job and organisation you are being interviewed for.
The best starting point is for individuals and teams to complete their Belbin Individual Reports. From there, organisations can further explore:
Team Reports
Job and Candidate Reports for hiring
Working Relationship Reports
Team Development workshops
In-house training and Belbin Accreditation
Supporting materials including free webinars, support materials and practical exercises
Contact us to find the right starting point for your team or organisation
The Belbin Team Roles framework can help enable greater team effectiveness through increased self awareness, understanding of others and tapping into different behavioural strengths in a team. This can help to enhance performance, improve productivity or reduce conflict.
Some specific examples include;
- Optimised Leadership – Belbin reports can help to identify natural leaders within a team and guide leadership development initiatives to enhance overall team leadership capability, not just for the “solo leader”.
- Improved Team Dynamics – Teams can benefit from a more balanced and complementary distribution of Team Roles that is suited to the actual work required. This can enhance communication, collaboration, and overall team performance.
- Conflict Resolution – Awareness of potential areas of conflict based on Team Roles opposite styles in particular, can enable proactive conflict resolution, minimise disruptions and build a more positive working environment.
- Strategic Task Allocation – Belbin reports can be used to strategically assign tasks based on individual strengths and preferences, leading to more efficient and effective task execution and delivery.
- Building Trust – Belbin Reports contribute to establishment and building of trust within a team. When team members fully understand and appreciate each other’s strengths, a foundation of trust can built more quickly.
- Leadership Development – Identifying and proactively developing individuals with leadership qualities within the team can contribute to the long-term success of the team and the organisation.
Belbin Team Role Reports offer a range of benefits for individuals, teams, and organisations. Belbin reports provide valuable insights into team dynamics, help identify individual strengths and contribute to overall team effectiveness.
Here are some of the main benefits Belbin Reports can offer:
- Enhanced Self-Awareness – Individuals gain a deeper understanding of their preferred working styles, strengths, and potential areas for development within a team context.
- Better Communication – Understanding the communication styles associated with different Team Roles can lead to clearer and more effective communication within the team.
- Informed Decision-Making – Teams can make more informed decisions by considering diverse perspectives and insights from individuals with different Team Roles (such as Monitor Evaluation, Shaper) at different times of the decision making process.
- Increased Productivity – Task allocation based on individual strengths and preferences can lead to increased productivity as team members work in roles that best align to their natural abilities.
- Proactive Development – Individuals can proactively work on developing skills associated with their manageable or less preferred Team Roles, contributing to their overall personal and professional growth.
- Strategic Recruitment – In recruitment processes, Belbin Job Profile and Candidate Match reports can better inform the selection of individuals that suit the Team Roles required and who complement the existing team, ensuring a well-balanced and diverse workforce.
- Innovation and Creativity – Teams can leverage the creativity and innovative thinking associated with certain Team Roles (e.g., Plant, Resource Investigator) to foster an environment that encourages fresh ideas and innovation.
Overall, Belbin Team Role reports provide a structured and practical framework for enhancing team dynamics, improving collaboration, and optimising individual and collective contributions within a team.
Observer feedback can provide a more rounded view of behavioural style. As individuals we may not always be aware of the way we behave or how others may perceive our behaviour; We may have behavioural “blind spots” which others see. Observer feedback can help build greater understanding of our own style and by raising the self awareness of our behaviour, if we can apply learning from feedback, this can help reduce “blind spots” and allow us to actively reduce or eliminate behavioural weaknesses.
Click here to see a sample Belbin Self Perception report with Observer feedback.
Belbin Reports can help a team see the bigger picture of their behavioural styles. Instead of guessing or relying on assumptions or perceptions which can often be wrong, teams gain a clear, visual breakdown of each persons Team Role profile, and where there may be strengths, overlaps or gaps. It can help identify potential sources of tension caused by behavioural differences, and can can be used to make the most of each person’s strengths. It encourages self awareness and team understanding, which are the building blocks of effective team collaboration.
Find out more here about Using Belbin for Team Building
Yes – dramatically. Many communication breakdowns stem from misunderstandings about how others think and work. Belbin Team Roles offer a non-judgemental, common language to help explain behavioural styles. For example, knowing that a colleague is a Monitor Evaluator who prefers careful analysis, while another is a Resource Investigator who thrives on enthusiasm and spontaneity, can help either person to adapt their approach and communication style to avoid unnecessary friction and improve understanding.
Belbin helps leaders understand their own natural style and how it impacts their team. It can also help leaders delegate more effectively by aligning tasks with individuals’ Team Role strengths. When leaders use Belbin in an open manner, they can foster a greater culture of trust, role clarity and behavioural accountability which leads to more cohesive, empowered teams.
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Belbin is increasingly used in hiring to focus not just on eligibility (skills and qualifications) but suitability – how someone will behave in the role and fit with the team.
By using a Belbin Job Profile and and Candidate Comparison Reports, hiring managers or a recruitment panels can:
Align and agree on what the role really needs before advertising and shortlisting
Accurately compare the behavioural fit between each candidate and the job profile
Ask more effective behavioural competency questions based around the specific Team Role behaviours required for the role.
Make more confident, evidence-based hiring decisions.
Find out more about Using Belbin in Recruitment and Using Belbin to Make Better Hiring Decisions
Many conflicts arise from clashing work styles or misunderstood behaviours. Belbin gives teams a way to frame those differences constructively. Instead of labelling someone as “difficult” or “negative”, you might understand them as a Shaper under pressure, or a Completer Finisher who holds high standards. This reduces blame, builds empathy, and helps the team navigate differences more effectively.
Find out more about Using Belbin to Manage Conflict
Belbin helps individuals understand their behavioural strengths and where they naturally add value in a team. It also identifies allowable weaknesses and blind spots to work on. By increasing self-awareness, Belbin supports better decision-making, improved career based role alignment and self development.
Belbin can bring more meaningful behavioural insights to performance review conversations. Instead of vague or personality-based feedback, managers and team members can refer to concrete contributions that are directly linked to Team Role style. It can opens up more honest, constructive dialogue around development areas in a safe and structured way through focusing on strengths and managing weaknesses.
When individuals feel their strengths are recognised and can be used effectively, they’re often more engaged, motivated and committed to the role, team and organisation. Belbin helps to empower people by understanding and articulating what they do best and gives managers a way to make sure those individual contributions can be seen, appreciated and properly utilised.