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Belbin information site is sponsored by CERT Consultancy & Training
It is a non-commercial site
edited by Barrie Watson, a member of Belbin Associates. The purpose of the
site is to
provide information for people using or planning to use the Belbin Team Role model and
other Belbin tools techniques and philosophies.
for more information on Belbin
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Webmaster: Barrie Watson
In the January 2002 edition of Training Journal Steve Myers compared the MTR-i team role model with Belbin and gave some useful information relating to the issue of "stretch" - the difference between a person's preferred and actual team roles.
Unfortunately the article contained some inaccuracies in the way it made comparisons between MTR-i and Belbin.
The letter below was sent to the editor of Training Journal to ensure readers of the publication were made aware of the inaccuracies and could make a proper comparison between the two models.
The Editor
Training Journal
Clive House
The Business Park
Ely
Cambridge
CB7 4EH
17 January 2002
Dear Editor
I have just read the article by Steve Myers in the January edition of Training Journal on the MTR-i questionnaire.
While I commend the author for dealing with the important issue of "stretch" between preferred and current team roles there are some inaccuracies in the article. These relate to the comparisons he makes with the Belbin methodology.
Having used the Belbin Team Role model and the Interplace computer system with great success in numerous countries around the world for more than 15 years I would like to address these inaccuracies by making your readers aware of the following points:
1. No qualification criteria apply to people wishing to use the Belbin questionnaires. This is because the scoring and the creation of the 20 plus reports available is managed by the Interplace software. This is a highly sophisticated "expert" system now in its sixth generation. Also, the Belbin Team Role model is based on experimental work rather than psychological theory and thus, no psychological qualifications are required.
2. The Belbin Interplace system does deal with what Steve Myers describes as the "stretch" between the preferred and current team role. In fact it does this in a very comprehensive and efficient way by using four questionnaires:
a) The Self Perception Inventory which elicits what
people believe to be their natural preferences.
b) The Observer Assessment which asks work colleagues to report behaviours they have
observed.
c) The Job Requirement and Job Observation assessments which elicit the behavioural
demands of the job.
The Interplace system uses the above information to produce text, graphical and numerical advisory and diagnostic reports dealing with the issue of "stretch".
I hope you will see fit to publish this letter in the next edition of Training Journal in order to preserve the high integrity of your excellent publication.
Yours sincerely
Barrie Watson
Managing Director
CERT Consultancy & Training
Footnote: The above letter was published in the March 2002 edition of Training Journal.