A team is a group of very different individuals who share a commitment
to working together to achieve common goals. Most likely not all of the
people in the team are equal in experience, talent or education, but they
are equal in one vitally important way, their commitment to the good of the
organization. Even understanding this, management often does not pay
attention on the formal and informal relationships that are developed in
teams, which often become the powerful source of team dynamics. Because of
the differences in education and talent, there is going to be some conflict
between team members, but by communicating about the differences, focusing
on the common goals For this reason the mix of individuals, with
individual personalities and behaviors, in a team has become an important
issue for the management. This also means that team members will have
individual preferences for the roles they adopt in a team situation.
Belbin (1981, 1993) identified eight team roles as follows: 1)
Implementer (IM), who are concerned with the practical translation and
application of concepts and plans developed by the team, 2) Coordinator
(CO), who are concerned with the organization, coordination and control of
the activities of the team. This involves the clarification of team
objectives and problems, assigning tasks and responsibilities, and
encouraging team members to get involved in achieving objectives and goals.
3) Shaper (SH), who likes challenges, argues and disagrees. These people
are achievement-motivated, extrovert, and impatient. 4) Plant (PL), who are
concerned with putting forward ideas and strategies for achieving the
objectives adopted by the team. These people are creative and imaginative.
5) Resource Investigator (RI), who are concerned with exploration of the
environment outside the team, by identifying ideas, information and
resources. These people are at much more ease with developing ...