For those who still haven't checked our LinkedIn posts, our Assessment Center team spent four days in May in Cambridge on accreditation workshops for Belbin Team Roles®. After that, SELECTIO Group has become an exclusive distributor of Belbin methodology for Croatia! This journey made our team cohesion even stronger, but the workshops also helped us better understand the differences occurring in our team.
On of the most fun and useful teambuildings ever
Dr Meredith Belbin, the creator of this methodology, defines a team role as a set of behaviours that indicate our preferences and ways in which we can contribute to the team. For a team to be functional and successful, it must be composed of different team roles. That is confirmed by a whole series of scientific research on which Belba's tool is based, and that is exactly how our team is composed 😊.
Belbin Team Roles are used for the identification of strong characteristics but also those that offer space for the growth of an individual in the workspace. No matter if the topic is people development, conflict solutions, or fine-tuning high performance, Belbin Team Roles are helping teams to better understand each other and to cooperate more successfully.
On our trip together, we learned that Belbin Team Roles are not just theories! During the trip, each of us really (unconsciously) took on the role that somehow naturally lies to each of us, so we decided to put this experience on paper.
What do Belbin's roles look like in practice?
During the morning hours, we spent our days in the Belbin offices, and in the afternoon we had free time to wander through Cambridge, observing the wonderful architecture and practical application of Belbin roles.
One such activity was riding in a boat – a popular activity in Cambridge called punting.
As a true Shaper, from the first day, I strongly advocated for getting involved in this activity and I was focused on achieving that goal! Although the real obstacle was the high price, I was fully prepared to take the helm on my own (which is one of the cheaper options) and spend time with the girls on a boat sliding through the canal. However, two colleagues as Monitor Evaluators pointed out the shortcomings and potential risks of my idea. They weighed the offered options, were rational and strategically considered all the implications. On the other hand, the third colleague, as the most prominent TeamWorker, encouraged the finding of consensus and a win-win situation, bearing in mind that it was important for me to engage in this activity and that it was important for the other colleagues to do it safely. Although I also had some doubts about my rowing skills, I did not give in easily. With TeamWorker's strengths, diplomatic approach and active listening, we found a consensus!
Now, the price was still too high, so my other prominent team role - Resource Investigator - got involved in the negotiation. The role, which is characterized by an optimistic approach to situations and creating new connections, certainly served in the negotiation of discounts, which we all profited from! In addition, the roles of Implementer, Completer Finisher and Coordinator, which are also expressed by the rest of the team, connected nicely in finding activities while we waited for our turn for punting.
The role we were missing was a Specialist who would certainly research everything about rowing, watch a few YouTube videos and give extremely detailed and professional advice on how to approach it effectively! If we had a Specialist, I'm sure I would row.
How can we use Belbin in business?
Except for understanding roles in the rowing team, the Belbin tool can be used for numerous situations in the work environment! This methodology is a kind of 360 assessment, by which an individual receives information about the alignment of his perception and the perception of others. It identifies how each person can contribute to the team, and what potentials they possess.
On the other hand, it can help us better understand why sometimes we do not function as a cohesive team or it's hard for us to understand each other. Belbin realizes that each role is important and contributes with its specifics and unique approach. Compared to other tools, it not only shows how we see ourselves but also how others see us and how we function in a team with others!
Belbin tool is useful for understanding and accepting diversity and in general for the development of quality relationships in the team. That is exactly why Belbin increases efficiency and a pleasant work environment!
When forming a team, with Belbin tool we can have more influence over effective team creation and employment of the right team members, not only according to the experiences they already have, but according to how their behavioral patterns fit the purpose or the goal that the team has. That is where the Belbin Job comes in, and we'll be posting more about it soon – stay tuned for our blog for new information on the many other ways of using Belbin methodology!
So far more than three million Belbin reports worldwide have been created using this questionnaire for employees, teams and organizations in numerous industries.
Given that the SELECTIO Group recently became the exclusive distributor for Belbin Croatia, this report can now also be implemented for companies and teams in Croatia.
Contact us at assessment@selectio.hr, try the workshop with your team and improve the company's communication and efficiency!
