Embrace the importance of the role you play and take the time to recognise your strengths and preferences and the way you affect others as well as considering if you have some of the same weaknesses
Knowing your strengths and where you could potentially fit into a team can be very empowering when you are applying for jobs. It will not only help you choose the right roles to apply for, but you will present yourself as more experienced, with more self-awareness and more comfort in your own skin.
Meredith Belbin, a British researcher and management theorist identified nine team roles that make up an effective team.
These roles are categorised into three groups: people oriented, action oriented and thought oriented, so here’s a bit of ‘Belbin revision’ to help you consider your position within your own team.
Read through the roles and find the one you identify with the most. Consider all your previous roles including your roles in societies and clubs as well as paid and volunteer work.
People oriented roles
- Coordinators tend to be team leaders or chairmen. Their strengths are their ability to guide, listen, delegate and recognise talent in others, but they may delegate too much responsibility and can be manipulative.
- Team workers make sure everyone gets along and are often the team negotiator. They are flexible, diplomatic, and perceptive, but they can be indecisive, particularly with unpopular decisions.
- Resource investigators develop contacts, explore options and negotiate for resources on behalf of the team. They are extrovert, innovative and curious, but they may lose enthusiasm quickly and can be overly optimistic.
Action oriented roles
- Shapers challenge the team to improve, question accepted behaviours and look for new solutions. They are dynamic and usually extroverted people, but may be argumentative and a little insensitive to people’s feelings.
- Implementers get things done. They turn te team’s ideas and concepts into practical actions and plans. They are disciplined, organised and efficient, but may be inflexible and resistant to change.
- Completer-finishers ensure that projects are completed thoroughly and accurately. They are very focused on deadlines and details, but can take perfectionism to extremes and find it hard to delegate.
Thought oriented roles
- The plant generates new ideas and solves difficult problems. They are creative, innovative and imaginative, but are often poor communicators and can be unorthodox and forgetful.
- Monitor-evaluators analyse and evaluate ideas. They are shrewd and objective , but can be overly critical and poor motivators.
- Specialists have the specialised knowledge needed to get the job done. They are dedicated, focused self-starters, but may become preoccupied with details that mean they miss the bigger picture.
Embrace the importance of the role you play and take the time to recognise your strengths and preferences and the way you affect others as well as considering if you have some of the same weaknesses.
Self-awareness is key to finding, getting and succeeding in the right job as well as being key to self-development.
