This 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.

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Please Note: The answers given on this page are provided by Barrie Watson and represent his views and opinions, except where stated otherwise.

FAQ Answers - Belbin Team Roles

Questions about the Belbin Team Role model

Q What exactly is a Team Role?
A Dr Meredith Belbin defines a Team Role as "Our tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way."  Although the original research and most people's association with the Team Role model relates to teams there is strong evidence to support the view that these natural tendencies exist in workplace activities outside the formal team. (It's worth reading Management Teams - Why They Succeed or Fail by Dr Meredith Belbin if you are interested in learning more about Belbin Team Roles and the original research.) Team Roles

Q Where can I obtain a detailed description of the Belbin Team Role model?

A You will find a description of the Team Role model and useful background information in the book Management Teams - Why They Succeed or Fail by Dr Meredith Belbin, published by Butterworth Heinemann.  For a FREE four page summary explanation of the Team Role model click here and ask for a free copy of An Introduction to Team Roles. (Note: It will be sent to you by email as an attachment.)

Q I use the Belbin model but need something to help me explain it, preferably of an interactive nature. Can you suggest anything?
A Yes, Video Arts have a video called Building the Perfect Team which explains the Team Role model well.  It uses a team of nine people who each act out one of the nine Team Roles in solving a business problem.  The video comes with a trainer guide and good exercises, it is a bit expensive though at around 1000 GBPounds. (For more information CLICK HERE)  An alternative is a CD-ROM by Butterworth Heinemann called Building Teams the Belbin Way. This costs around 85 GBPounds and is ideal for self learning or using with small groups.   If you want something simple, but not really interactive, CERT has produced an audio slideshow which puts the message across simply and clearly for 25 GBPounds. If you want more information email us and we will provide you with supplier contact details.

Q I have expanded my understanding of Team Roles but still have difficulty with the role of 'Specialist'. Can you help me?
A A lot of people get confused about the 'Specialist' role this and tend to think of it in terms of a person’s function rather than behaviour.  This is particularly so at a senior level, for example, the production or operations director may regard the finance director as a ‘Specialist’.  The true behavioural ‘Specialist’ however is driven by the pursuit of knowledge and information.  These people just love the process of learning.  It pervades everything they do and they want to go into things very deeply, thus they will be seen as truly knowledgeable by everyone and not just those who are impressed by their functional expertise.

Q Does the Belbin Team Role model only apply when working in a team?
A Although the original research looked at how people behave and interact in teams it is my opinion that the nine clusters of behaviour used by the Belbin Team Role model have applications outside formal team work.  For example, building productive relationships between work colleagues by helping them identify and use complementary qualities.  I also believe that the tendencies identified by Belbin methodology are still there when we are working alone, for sure I have a preference for using my natural Shaper/Resource Investigator strengths whatever the circumstances and I thing the same applies to most of us.

Q What books can you recommend for explaining the Belbin Team Role model?
A The three books I recommend are: Management Teams - Why They Succeed or Fail, Team Roles at Work, both by Dr Meredith Belbin. The first describes the experimentation leading to the development of the Team Role model and the second is really about what the title implies.  I also recommend a new book called Succeeding at Work written by a small team of us who wanted to share our experience of applying the Belbin methodology to improve personal and team performance.  If you would like more information click here.

Questions about the Belbin assessments

Q Is it compulsory to be accredited or certificated to use Belbin Team Role profiling assessments?
A No, it is not compulsory, because Belbin Team Role assessments are of a behavioural rather than psychological nature and the reports are generated by a computerised expert system. It is highly recommended however that consultants, trainers, facilitators and others involved in giving advice and feedback attend an approved Belbin accreditation course.  (For more details click here)

Q In the past I have used a self-scoring Self Perception Inventory can I still use it?
A There is much misunderstanding about this so let me provide you with an extract from a Belbin communication put out in October 2001: "Many of our telephone calls request information on the copyright of Belbin materials, in particular, the use of the self-scoring Self-Perception Inventory published in Meredith's book Management Teams Why They Succeed Or Fail (1981). To clarify our position, we own the copyright and do not allow this questionnaire to be reproduced in any form. Certainly individuals may purchase the book and complete the SPI for their own personal development, but any wider usage is an infringement of copyright. In fact, we do not recommend the use of this questionnaire anymore, as it is obsolete (no Specialist Role), lacks the balance of Observer input, and most importantly, does not offer responsible advice."  I hope that makes it clear but if you still have any doubt about the copyright of any material you are using do contact me and I shall be pleased to clarify things with Belbin Associates.

Q Where can I get the latest Belbin assessment forms?
A Click here to find out how you can get the latest assessment forms free of charge.

Q I understand computer software is available for producing Belbin profiles, how can I find out more about it?
A Email me and ask for a free Interplace brochure.

Q How can I obtain the new computer generated reports?
A There are three ways to obtain the reports generated by the Belbin Interplace computer system.  You can find full details along with the pros and cons for each option at: http://www.btinternet.com/~cert/belbin-profiling-options-table.htm

Q I have been told there is now a facility for adding 360 degree feedback.  Is this true?
A Yes, the facility now exists for adding Observer Assessments to provide feedback on how others see you.  This is one of the big advantages of the Belbin Interplace system as it provides a much more robust profile than methods based on self reporting only. If you would like to see examples of some of the reports based on the feedback of observers click here and ask for "Example Reports".

Q What's the name of the book containing the Belbin Self Perception Inventory and information about the Team Role model?
A The original book written by Dr Meredith Belbin describing the development of the Team Role model and containing the self-scoring Self Perception Inventory was called Management Teams - Why They Succeed or Fail. (Publisher: Butterworth Heinemann) A second edition of this book was published in 2004.  This contains additional material, including some case studies and comes with a free offer of a Belbin profile using the latest computerised methodology.

Q The original edition of the inventory included 8 team roles and the specialist role was not included. I have recently seen a copy of the inventory where each of the 7 sections contain 10 items. Are there now 10 team roles?
A The Specialist Team Role did not become apparent until the methodology was applied in the business world,  a few years after the publication of Management Teams - Why They Succeed or Fail which described the original experiments of Dr Belbin.
The current version of the Self Perception Inventory has 10 statements in each section because they include a 'control' element - a statement that is used to provide some indication of the robustness of the results.  There are still only 9 Team Roles.

Q My work with people who do not speak English as a first language has thrown up difficulties when using the Belbin assessments.  Do you have a translated version?
A Yes, the Belbin assessments and the Interplace system have been translated into a number of languages. These include: French, German, Slovenian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Czech, Finnish, Japanese, Korean and Indian. (Click here and state which language/s you are interested in and we will let you know how to obtain the assessments.)

Q Can you please explain the advantages and disadvantages of Belbin profiling?
A I think the main advantage is in how it provides a non-confrontational and non-hierarchical language to describe a person's natural behavioural tendencies. The fact that it is behavioural based (rather than a psychometric assessment) and easily understood and used by people at all levels in an organisation is of course a big advantage, plus of course the facility for observer feedback.
The main disadvantage is that as behaviour is more open to change the assessments need to be done a reasonably regular intervals.  This may however be regarded as an advantage and something that should be encouraged.

Q Why is the observer assessment different from the self assessment?
A The two assessments have a different perspective and purpose. The OA is constructed to elicit what behaviours have been observed by work colleagues using a practical evidential approach.  This is not so appropriate for use by the self as many people are not able to stand back and realistically assess their qualities in this way.  The SPI is therefore designed to provoke people to think how they would naturally behave in given situations as a way of eliciting the Team Role tendencies using a degree a cognitive activity.

Q If I answer the questionnaire again, in a different frame of mind or with different emotions, will my results change significantly?
A Obviously, when a person completes the Belbin Self Perception Inventory it will be influenced by recent events and circumstances but it still provides a useful indicator of their natural workplace behavioural tendencies, providing the person has been honest when completing the inventory.
Generally speaking this behavioural pattern is quite enduring as it is influenced by DNA and genetics and related to a person’s established personality and although the way a person manages their behavioural pattern may change the order of their natural behavioural preferences does not normally change that much. 
It is not unusual however for people to believe or claim to have changed a lot when in fact they haven’t. This is one of the reasons we have provided a facility to add observer feedback using the Observer Assessment which involves work colleagues reporting observed behaviour.  This feedback is very powerful and enables a more robust profile and additional reports to be provided by embracing the profound conclusions of Aristotle:  “We are what we repeatedly do.”

Questions about using the results of the Belbin assessments

Q Is it possible to use Belbin assessments for selection and career planning purposes?
A By using the Belbin Interplace Self Perception Inventory, Observer Assessment, Job Requirement and the Job Observation assessment the process of matching people to jobs can be greatly enhanced.  This applies equally to the selection and recruitment process and to career planning and personal development decisions. For more information click here and ask for a free copy of A Guide to Matching People to Jobs.

Q I am particularly concerned at present about resolving a 'personality clash'. How can the Belbin model help with this?
A This issue can be dealt with by using the Belbin Working Relationship report, an example of which, along with other Belbin reports, can be obtained by clicking here. This report enables differences in natural behavioural tendencies between the two people to be identified and areas of difficult chemistry to be pinpointed.

Q How can I use the Belbin Working Relationship report to improve workplace relationships?
A I find that the best way to use this report is to get both of the people to jointly:
     - Identify where there is difficult Team Role chemistry.
     - Cite examples of where they have experienced difficulties with their working relationship.
     - Identify what they do well together by complementing each other.
     - Agree a working relationship strategy. 

Q Is there a link between learning styles and Belbin Team Roles?
A I strongly believe there is a link between learning styles and Team Roles as both are influenced by the same things, our DNA, Genetics and Personality. For example I am a "Shaper" and prefer to learn by doing and tend to be motivated to learn primarily as a means to achieve.

Q How would Belbin profiling benefit a Management Development Programme?
A A Management Development Programme would benefit in the following ways:
1. By enhancing managers' awareness of their own management style which could then be used as a basis for improving their personal effectiveness.
2. By providing managers with a better understanding their subordinates and thereby enabling them to tap into these natural preferences when assigning work and when planning their future development.
3. By equipping managers with the ability to select effective teams and diagnose underlying weaknesses in existing teams.

Q Are there any particular 'mixture' of Belbin team types that work (and don't work!)?
A This is a good question.  There are in fact a number of Team Roles where the chemistry is difficult.  For example, the Shaper/Monitor Evaluator, the Resource Investigator/Specialist and the Plant/Implementer.
Without any intervention the above, and other similarly difficult pairings, will probably experience conflict.  The fact is tough that each one of the roles will benefit from the contribution of the other if their different approaches can be reconciled.
The Belbin e-interplace Working relationship report is very effective in identifying Team Role chemistry problems and provides valuable advisory and diagnostic advice to help with managing relationships. (If you would like to receive an example of the Working Relationship report please email barrie.watson@belbin.info)

Q We need to motivate our staff and would like to know how to assess what would most motivate each individual?
A I suggest you consider getting each person to do a Belbin profile.  This will provide you with valuable insights about each person's natural behavioural tendencies.  This information can then be used to help decide who should be doing what and, as far as possible, ensure natural preferences and motivations are taken into account.   For example Monitor Evaluators are motivated by having the opportunity to analyse problems and prevent superficial decisions being made based on emotion rather than logic.  They are not likely to be motivated however by being placed in situations that require a lot of people empathy or quick results.

Q Can you please tell me how the Belbin Team Role inventory can be used to improve team performance?
A The Belbin Team Role model can be used to improve team performance in a number of ways.  Here are four of them:
1. It helps each person to be clear about their natural contribution when working in a team.
2. By sharing this information between team members each person is aware of the role of other team members and can use this information to improve synergy.
3. By analysing the Team Roles of the whole team the team balance can be checked and steps taken to remedy any imbalance.
4. Hierarchy within teams is de-emphasised and individual contributions are encouraged on merit as teams apply the Team Role model.

Q Where can I find details of consultants who provide team building using the Belbin methodology?
A Go to www.belbin.info/belbin_accredited_consultants for this information or try www.teamdoctor.co.uk.  As far as the latter is concerned however I do have to declare an interest as it is my own organisation.

Q Can you kindly advise if Team Roles change with different team members and external factors e.g. company setting, cultural context?
A Yes. All of the factors you describe will have some impact on a person’s natural Team Role tendencies.  It is important to recognise however that there is not unlimited scope for changing a person’s natural Team Roles as this is partly influenced by DNA and genetics.  This becomes evident when the ‘going gets tough’ when you will see people reverting to their natural tendencies.  Whilst some behavioural modification is quite realistic, particularly in managing natural Team Roles, my advice is always to build on what comes naturally rather than undertaking massive behavioural re-engineering.

Q What should I do to realise my full potential now that I am aware of my Team Roles?
A The first thing to say is be sure that you are clear about what your Team Role tendencies are before planning any personal development or your future career.  Using the self reporting questionnaires alone is not robust enough for such important decisions that's why I recommend combining the latest normalised computer version of the Belbin Self Perception Inventory with 4 to 6 Observer Assessments by work colleagues who know you well.  Armed with this multi-perspective information and some deep reflection my advice to you is best summarised in the last paragraph of the answer to the previous question on this page.  Follow this advice and I promise you will find your work more enjoyable and realise your full potential.

Q I am concerned that Belbin assessments do not take into consideration cultural influences. What is your view on this?
A This is something I get asked frequently, particularly when I am outside the UK.  The fact is that as the Belbin Self Perception Inventory and Observer Assessments are trying to elicit a persons natural or preferred behavioural tendencies they are indirectly taking cultural influences into consideration.  This is due to a person's behavioural tendencies being, in part, the result of cultural factors.  The fact that it does not specifically identify the causal influences is not very important in most circumstances in my opinion.  It is more important to know what is than what caused it that matters and what we do with this information so don't get overly obsessed about the cultural influences or even waste too much time on the great nature/nurture debate if you are interested in results rather than theory.

Q Don’t team members get labeled as being less than competent in their least preferred roles and then they get passed over for future promotion?
A First of all let me say that the ownership of the Belbin profile is vested in the individual and if they are to get ‘labeled’ it should only be a result of them choosing to communicate their profile to others.  This is something we should advocate of course once people are confident about their natural strengths and weaknesses. In doing so however we need to get the message across that none of us will be perfect in every way and will have natural strengths (talents) and weaknesses.  I often illustrate  this by using the analogy that some people are naturally left handed and weak with their right hand and don’t seem to have any reservations about saying “Remember I am not right handed”.  As far as being “passed over for future promotion” is concerned I can’t accept it as an inevitable result.  I can see however that where ‘Suitability’ (The behavioural fit) as well as ‘Eligibility’ (Skills, qualifications etc.) is taken into account someone may be passed over for a job as being unsuitable even when they are eligible.  This is countered however by the occasions where someone who might have been passed over as being ineligible being appointed and developed because they were suitable.  The fact is that it is not in the interest of anyone to place people into jobs in which they may under perform of fail. We must strive hard therefore to get this message across and help people into jobs where they are most likely to succeed.  I can’t pretend this is easy to put across to people who see things like Team Role profiling in terms of measuring who are the good and bad people but we need to tread a cautious but very clear path towards this end.

Q One of the participants asked me to comment on how her new Belbin profile report differed from her profile based on the self-scoring Self Perception Inventory from the original Belbin book.  What advice can you offer?
A The only advice I can give you is that I would not recommend using the results of a questionnaire that is over 25 years out of date and uses non-normalised data as a basis for sound discussion and deciding what action to take. The old profile may of course be pointing the person in the right direction but I would not have enough confidence about it, and of course, confidence can be improved further by using the Observer Assessment facility that is now available.

Q After asking the team to complete a Belbin questionnaire, none of the team came out as coordinator. My preference was Completer Finisher followed by Specialist. Is it possible for me to "role sacrifice" and instead take on the role of Coordinator, as the team are missing this role.
A If your team is missing a naturally high Co-ordinator it is a reasonable strategy for someone to make a “Team Role Sacrifice” and try and adopt this role on behalf of the team.  I would advise that this is done by someone who has CO as a manageable role however rather than a low or least preferred role as this would be asking a lot of a person, particularly when things get emotive or heated.