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A. understand the definition of a “TEAM”;
B. understand the differences between a team and a group;
C. understand the concept and importance of team roles
D. create new ideas on how to build a team (using team roles too)
Time needed to review this content: 30 MIN
What is team work? Team work is defined as the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve common goals. A team consists of more than one person, each of whom has both different and similar responsibilities, but the main responsibility is on the team, as a whole.
A team has common objectives, a common mission. It is very important to coordinate personal goals with team goals.
Team roles are the expectations from team members regarding each other's behaviour in the team.
Team roles can relate to different categories of tasks (not necessarily the official tasks from job descriptions).
Motto:
"If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want To Go Far, Go Together" African proverb
In personal life, business / work, sports and many other fields we meet situations where one cannot achieve his or her goals acting alone. Many times we need partners, co-workers, support and assistance to succeed. In these occasions we work in a group or better, in a TEAM. Definition of team work: the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve common goals and having common responsibilities. A team consists of more than one person, each of whom has both different and similar responsibilities. A team has common objectives, a common mission. It is very important to coordinate personal goals with team goals. SynergySimple rule in team work efficiency: 2+2=5. The common result of a good team is bigger than the sum of each individual's result. Common characteristics of a team are:- interdependence- accountability- trust- sharing- leadership.
Creating / developing a team (M.W. Tuckman):- Forming (searching for team objectives, personal places in the team, knowing tasks and each other, setting priorities, defining tasks)- Storming (internal conflicts regarding objectives, priorities, competition for roles and status, obedience appears) - Norming (team cohesion getting stronger, internal rules, team roles are occupied)- Performing (personal connections are established and stable, intense relationships, identification with the team's values).Team effectiveness is more than just performance, a real effective team also contributes to the growth of its members and their well-being.When work in team:- solve conflicts- communicate- share ideas- be responsible- be disciplined- respect others- SUCCEED.Differences between working groups and teamsNot every group of people is a TEAM.Working groups, beside the common effort and cooperation is still characterised by individual responsibility. In real teams, team responsibility is dominant.
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Working group
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Team
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Strong, clear leader position
Individual responsibility
Individual products / results
Efficient group discussions
Discussions, decision and delegation |
Shared leading roles
Individual and common responsibility
Collective results
Open discussions, and active problem solving
Discussion, decision and common work |
by Katzenbach - Smith
 "In a team we are all rowing in the same direction"Ideal size of a team: " Meredith Belbin argues that the optimum size for a team is 4 people. Beyond this number, individuals do not work closely enough together to constitute a team and are defined as a group". Smaller teams often lack equilibrium and it is more likely that unsolvable conflicts appear. TEAM ROLESIn every organization and every team there are differences between members. We want to be, to feel, to be treated different. This leads to ranking, hierarchy, influenced by the formal role in the team, education level, expertise, awards, salaries, occupation, and some personal attributions (age, sex, clothing, physical aspect etc.), the place in the organization, the authority obtained, professional knowledge / skills, results obtained so far, cultural level, personal skills, behaviour, etc.Team roles are the expectations from team members regarding each other's behavior in the team.
Team roles can relate to different categories of tasks (not necessarily the official tasks from job descriptions):
- operative tasks: setting goals, creating ideas, collecting data, providing data, coordinating, , evaluation
- relationship tasks: encouraging, solving (inter)personal problems, solving conflict, "promoting peace" in the team, fixing standards / norms, following the team.
Individuals need different skills and behave differently in a team environment. We can see this in sports teams, business teams, army teams, rescue teams etc. In a team we cannot do all the same tasks. Imagine in an office everybody just making photo-copies and not doing other jobs.
For example in a football team we have a goaltender, backs, midfielders, forwards. But there are also coaches, physicists, managers. Imagine how it would be, if the team would only have forwards.
In a project team in ICT we have team a leader/ manager, we have specialists in programming, design, security, SEO, an external consultant etc. There can also be finance specialists or administrative assistants. Each of them having their specific tasks, needing specific knowledge / skills. BUT, these are only the formal roles. Beside formal roles, there are the informal team roles, just as important and perhaps even more important.
Yet often, the high-intellect/skilled teams fail to achieve their goals, where a medium intellect team succeeds. Many times it is not the intelligence or special knowledge / skills which are the key to success, but the balance in the team. By balance we mean the existence of a mix of different people, with a range of different behaviors.
The Belbin's team roles
"A team role is a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way" Dr. M. Belbin
Let's see the possible informal roles:
Dr. Belbin analysed for a long time the winning and losing teams, and identified that a good team has 9 different roles, which can be divided into 3 categories.
 Each of the above roles has clear behavioral and interpersonal strengths and weaknesses. Belbin was convinced that every team, in order to perform well, needs a mixture of these roles. If the whole team has similar strengths or weaknesses, it will be easy to be defeated. Persons with identical strengths compete for the same tasks rather than cooperate.
What if we are less than 9 people in our team/ firm? Sometimes roles are shared, or one person holds more than one role. In practice it is important that we are aware that a successful team needs persons with different skills, different behaviours. We need thinkers, we need people oriented team members and we cannot forget the action oriented people. Watching carefully the video below, you will better understand each role.
As differences (personality, opinion, ability or way of thinking) between team members increase, so does increase the possibility of team's capacity to fulfill a mission. When heterogeneity in teams increases, creative results also increase, but sometimes also the fluctuation.
Remember:
VIDEO
This video clearly presents why a team needs members with different strengths, abilities and even weaknesses. And how a successful team benefits from the different thinking / acting, relation and action oriented members.
This video shows how important mutual trust and support in a TEAM is. It also has a powerful motivational side.
 TIPS AND TRICKS:
Everyone has to understand and accept that there is no long term success without a team.
Try to benefit from the understanding of team roles and their contribution to the team's activity and success.
Understand the difference between a group of people and a real team – working together, taking common responsibility.
"That’s a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals." Any Given Sunday (1999)
SUMMARY:
In order to achieve our goals in personal life, work, business, sports etc. we have to work in teams.
Teamwork leads to personal and group development, better results and better atmospheres.
A good team is composed of individuals with different and complementary strengths, abilities and skills.
 THINK OF SOME ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
Sport team vs. work team
Compare the roles in a football (or other sport you know well) team (not only the players can be the members of a team) and your working team. Which roles can you identify in each situation? Are there similarities?
Identifying roles in your team
Re-watch the first video, with Belbin's Team Roles, and try to identify those roles in your company / team. Does your team have thinkers, relation/ people oriented or action oriented members?
Questions
Which team roles are important when starting an ICT project?
Which team roles becomes more important when getting close to project deadline?
REFERENCES:
Belbin Team Roles
RELATED UNITS:
Besides the relation to the other pill in this unit (Teambuilding), this knowledge pill is connected to the units Communication and Leadership.
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