The Team Roles Profile is a model that identifies nine distinct roles individuals play within a team. It helps teams understand strengths and weaknesses and how to work together more effectively.

The Team Roles Profile improves teamwork by identifying individuals' natural roles, allowing teams to allocate responsibilities effectively and ensure a balanced group dynamic.

The Team Roles can be categorized into three groups:

• Action-Oriented Roles:

  • Shaper (SH): Drives progress and challenges the team to improve.

  • Implementer (IMP): Turns ideas into practical actions.

  • Completer Finisher (CF): Ensures thoroughness and attention to detail.

• People-Oriented Roles:

  • Coordinator (CO): Focuses on objectives and delegates work.

  • Teamworker (TW): Promotes team harmony and cooperation.

  • Resource Investigator (RI): Brings external ideas and opportunities to the team.

• Thought-Oriented Roles:

  • Plant (PL): Generates innovative ideas and solutions.

  • Monitor Evaluator (ME): Analyzes options and makes impartial judgments.

  • Specialist (SP): Provides deep expertise in a specific area.

Individuals complete a self-assessment questionnaire, often supplemented with feedback from colleagues, to identify their dominant and secondary team roles.

Teams, managers, HR professionals, and organizations can use the Belbin Profile to build effective teams, enhance collaboration, and improve performance.

• Ensures role balance within a team.

• Reduces conflicts by clarifying individual contributions.

• Helps teams leverage diverse strengths and minimize weaknesses.

• Supports leadership in assigning tasks more effectively.

Yes, the Team Roles Model is used in business, healthcare, education, government, and other sectors where teamwork is essential.

• Assigning roles rigidly instead of allowing flexibility.

• Ignoring feedback from team members.

• Assuming one role is more valuable than another.

• Failing to adapt roles as teams and projects evolve.

The Team Roles Profile should be revisited when team dynamics change, new members join, or roles need reassessment.

• Encourage self-awareness and open discussion within the team.

• Use it as a tool for team development, not just assessment.

• Balance team roles to cover all essential functions.

• Adapt the model based on team needs and project goals.