Team Roles

Why look at team roles? Teams have predictable behavioural patterns When these behaviour patterns are taken up by individuals we say they are playing a role within a group Some roles deflect from the task of the work group on an obvious level, and some seem to enhance good communication Deepening our understanding of the way more negative roles work within a team can sometimes connect us into the trauma and pain faced by the service users we work with in human services

Team Dynamics Leader centered Silence Sub groups Fragmentation Conflict Group development cycle – forming, storming, performing, norming, mourning

Gossip/Storyteller Storyteller will pass on anecdotal information heard from others. This can be helpful, helping to build up an informal picture of people and team. They will often look at forbidden areas in the guise of ‘tell tale’, forcing team to look at double standards May also be instrumental in negative role development of others

Monopolist Monopolist takes up space in team often causing others to be irritated or bored ; those who take up this role at the beginning of a team may run the risk of becoming scapegoated rather than dominant, as others can develop anger towards monopolists in early stages of group development

Alpha/Dominant Teams will often have more than one leader – dominant members take up authority and direct team activity and behaviour. Any formal team leader will need to vie with self elected leaders, or group’s own elected leader

Baby This role may typify the helpless or powerless team member who draws out the helpful and supportive roles in others – often a good experience for both, but can be a dynamic by which supporting team fail to look at deeper issues

Scapegoat Teams may choose a member who is markedly different in someway, or who has occupied a negative role to become the subject of negative comment and abuse – this is another way team members may avoid looking at own problems and project issues onto others

Harmoniser Nurture or harmonising role can be very helpful in teams to diffuse tension and model supportiveness, but important to distinguish between initial politeness due to anxiety, heartfelt support and the need for ‘tough love’ as another form of support

Joker Joker also helps to diffuse tension in teams and create an enjoyable atmosphere in the group – important to recognise when the joker, and the team who encourage the joker, are avoiding more difficult issues

Silent/Non Responsive The silent team member may often yield interesting insights, and they may gain a lot from being able to speak up. Silence as a wider team behaviour may indicate unexpressed dissatisfaction or anger

Aggressor Aggressive member attacks others, may be quick to anger. In its positive form when it is not personalised this may become constructive challenge which opens up opportunity for others in a team, particularly if others own up to their own anger or dissatisfactions

Bright Spark/Ideas Giver Ideas giver can be very useful for team or group in evolving new directions and aiding creative growth, but will generally need the group to take up and share ideas, and for the team leader to support the resistance to change.