Team Work What sort of team worker are you? There are many different ‘types’ of team workers... Can you see yourself in any of these characters?

Team A good team consists of all different types of characters.

Dr Meredith Belbin came up with a way to identify team roles. He says that each Team Role has its particular strengths and allowable weaknesses, and each has an important contribution to make to a team. Very few people display characteristics of just one Team Role. Most people have 3 or 4 preferred roles, which can be adopted or eschewed as the situation requires. Belbin Team roles

Plant Resource Investigator Co-ordinator Shaper Monitor/ Evaluator Team worker Implementer Completer / Finisher Specialist

OverallBelbin rolesDescription Doing / acting Implementer Well-organized and predictable. Takes basic ideas and makes them work in practice. Can be slow. Shaper Lots of energy and action, challenging others to move forwards. Can be insensitive. Completer/Finisher Reliably sees things through to the end, ironing out the wrinkles and ensuring everything works well. Can worry too much and not trust others. Thinking / problem- solving Plant Solves difficult problems with original and creative ideas. Can be poor communicator and may ignore the details. Monitor/Evaluator Sees the big picture. Thinks carefully and accurately about things. May lack energy or ability to inspire others. Specialist Has expert knowledge/skills in key areas and will solve many problems here. Can be disinterested in all other areas. People / feelings Coordinator Respected leader who helps everyone focus on their task. Can be seen as excessively controlling. Team worker Cares for individuals and the team. Good listener and works to resolve social problems. Can have problems making difficult decisions. Resource/investigator Explores new ideas and possibilities with energy and with others. Good networker. Can be too optimistic and lose energy after the initial flush. In team work what type of roles do you display? Look at the sheet. Read it all carefully. Using a high lighter, high light the descriptions that best describe you.sheet

Reflection Look at the high lighted sheet... In teamwork what sort of characteristics do you display? What are your strengths? What weaknesses do you need to manag e?

Now that you have looked at yourself as an individual within a team.. You need to look at what type of group gives successful team work.. Individual Group

What are the properties of groups? Definable membership a collection of three or more people identifiable by name or type Group consciousness the members think of themselves as a group Sense of shared purpose the members share some common task or goals or interests Interdependence the members need the help of one another to accomplish the purpose for which they joined the group Interaction the members communicate with one another, influence one another, react to one another Ability to work as a cohesive unit an ability to act together, as one

Individual Group Task Team Work

Balanced teams Teams work best when there is a balance of primary roles and when team members know their roles, work to their strengths and actively manage weaknesses. To achieve the best balance, there should be:  One Co-ordinator or Shaper (not both) for leader  A Plant to stimulate ideas  A Monitor/evaluator to maintain honesty and clarity  One or more Implementer, Team worker, Resource investigator or Completer/finisher to make things happen

Task: Pick your team Think about all the things that you have just seen/ heard about. You need to talk to the people around you and find out what they are like as a team player. From this you must create a team of 4-5 to work with on the next task (the task will be give to you next lesson.)