Roles and Responsibilities of Team Members © COLEG

Roles and Responsibilities Task Performance Roles Maintenance Roles Blocking Roles

TPR - Initiator Suggests new or different ideas for discussion or review Proposes new or different approaches to problems Helps motivate others to suggest imaginative or creative ideas

TPR – Opinion Giver Makes pertinent comments about group roles or the task in hand Considers other team members’ suggestions and offers opinions on them Encourages others to suggest or give their own opinions through example

TPR - Elaborator Builds on suggestions made by other people in the group Helps other members to formulate ideas through a more detailed explanation Encourages others to engage in group discussions through example

TPR - Clarifier Provides relevant examples for others in the team Provides rationales for group activities or group behaviours Probes meaning and understanding of team activities or team behaviour

TPR - Tester Raises relevant questions to ‘test’ opinions of the team ‘Tests’ whether the team is ready to reach decisions about problems or solutions

MR - Harmoniser Mediates differences of opinion in the group Reconciles different points of view Helps group members to reach consensus

MR – Tension Reliever Uses humour at appropriate stages in a productive way Knows when a break in activities is appropriate Helps group cohesion to develop

MR - Compromiser Willing to see others’ point of view without stubbornly sticking to his/her own Accepts decisions of others for the overall benefit of the group activity

MR - Encourager Praises and supports other group members in their contribution to activities Friendly and encouraging Helps group cohesion and motivation within group

MR – Gate Keeper Helps keep communication open Creates opportunities to encourage participation by others in group activities Helps group cohesion to develop

BR - Aggressor Deflates status of others within group Disagrees with others aggressively Criticises others in the group Demonstrates challenging and threatening behaviour in a destructive way

BR - Blocker Stubbornly disagrees with any suggestion made by others Rejects others’ views consistently Cites unrelated personal experiences Resists any attempts to build group cohesion

BR - Withdrawer Will not participate Is a ‘wool gatherer’ Carries on private conversations within the group Is a self-appointed taker of notes Wants to undertake activities by him/herself

BR – Recognition Seeker Attempts to demonstrate own importance by boasting Constantly seeks attention Talks excessively Is overly conscious of own status

BR – Topic Jumper Constantly changes the subject Prevents any attempt to deal with the task in hand Displays evidence of a ‘grasshopper mind’

BR - Dominator Tries to take over the group Does not listen to others Tries to assert authority Tries to manipulate group

BR – Special Interest Player Uses the time of the group to draw attention to own concerns Wants to demonstrate that he/she is different from others in the group Demonstrate no interest in the concerns of others Has an ‘impressive’ quality of total self- absorption

BR - Gazer Distracts others by an absorbing interest in his/her shoes or something outwith group activity Participation level is high for gazing activity but low for everything else Not to be confused with a ‘geyser’ who lies dormant then spouts forth without warning

TPR - Summariser ‘Draws together’ group discussion in relation to problems, decisions and solutions Assists group to review group activity or behaviour at a a variety of stages Reports concisely on the meaning and purposes of group activities and behaviour