The strength of every successful team lies in mutual understanding and recognizing individual talents. But how is such understanding and balance achieved among team members? The answer lies in connecting through experiences that encourage collaboration, creativity, and trust. A good tool for fostering such experiences is team-building activities. Team building is not just an opportunity to relax and have fun outside the office; it is also a chance for the team to discover how all members behave within the team and in which situations their natural roles come to the forefront.
The Belbin Team Roles® model is a methodology based on Dr. Meredith Belbin's research and can be key to better understanding team dynamics and individual differences. This methodology is a good tool and foundation for teambuilding activities. The Belbin methodology helps teams interactively and effectively to identify individual strengths and align different approaches to work so that members can achieve excellent results together.
What does Belbin team building look like, and why are fun activities with precise goals important?
In interactive games, challenges, and simulations as part of teambuilding, team members often unconsciously act by their natural roles. Some members will stand out as leaders, while others will demonstrate creative ideas, precision, or conflict-resolution skills.
It is through fun activities that a clearer picture can emerge of how each member contributes to the common goal while strengthening the sense of belonging and mutual trust within the team. Here’s an example of such a game that can be used in Belbin teambuilding to help team members better understand each other and improve communication and team cohesion.
Game example: “Building a bridge”
The game goal is to construct a stable bridge that can withstand a given weight within a limited time and with limited resources.
Game rules:
- Each team receives the same set of materials and is tasked with building a bridge that will connect two points.
- The bridge must be strong enough to hold a small weight.
- The team has a limited "budget" of points that can be spent on additional materials if needed, simulating real project resources.
- The time for constructing the bridge is limited.
- After constructing the bridge, testing and a brief presentation by each team follow.
What can be discovered during the game?
During a Belbin teambuilding activity, SELECTIO HR experts moderate the activity (game) and evaluate the behaviour of team members while building the bridge, as well as during the short final presentation. Based on the team members’ behaviour, HR experts determine which of the 9 Belbin team roles individual members belong to. This way, interesting insights can be revealed about team members’ behaviour patterns:
Who takes the lead and coordinates activities?
During the game, it becomes evident who takes the lead, directs team activities, assigns tasks, and organizes others’ work. These individuals often stand out as natural leaders and coordinators. According to the Belbin Team Roles model, this behaviour is typical for the Coordinator and Shaper.
Who brings creative solutions to challenges?
In situations where the team encounters obstacles or needs to come up with an innovative approach, individuals who offer original ideas and propose unconventional solutions will stand out. These are key innovators who bring creativity to the team, much like the Plant.
Who carefully follows instructions and checks the stability of the structure?
In the team, those who closely follow tasks, adhere to the game rules, and ensure everything is executed precisely will stand out. These analysts and perfectionists, most often Monitor Evaluators and Completer Finishers, guarantee the project's stability and technical accuracy.
Who motivates and ensures a good atmosphere?
Some participants naturally take on the role of motivators, uplifting team morale, calming tense situations, and ensuring a positive working atmosphere. According to the Belbin methodology, their contribution as Teamworkers strengthens team spirit and ensures harmonious collaboration.
After the game, teams analyse their collaboration and evaluate which strategies proved the most successful. They also assess how individual team members reacted in critical moments and the roles they assumed. This analysis enables the recognition of Belbin roles in a practical and fun way, allowing the team to become aware of their strengths as well as areas for improvement.
What benefits does Belbin team building bring to companies?
Before organizing a team-building activity, it is important to define key HR objectives. Belbin team building can help achieve HR goals through reflection and understanding that strengthen daily team collaboration. By identifying team roles through Belbin team building, an organization can better understand how to allocate tasks and develop strategies tailored to the team’s specific dynamics. Team diversity and the conscious alignment of roles increase productivity, reduce conflicts, and contribute to greater employee motivation. Furthermore, fostering open communication and active listening enables the team to solve problems more effectively, build mutual trust, and create an environment where everyone feels valued and included.
Fun and engaging activities like "Building a Bridge" allow the team to naturally recognize their own potential and the contribution of each member. Through such games, team communication, trust, and a sense of shared success are developed. When a team recognizes its strengths and roles through play, the results become visible—not just in theory but also in practice on specific team assignments.
If you want your teams to learn in a fun way that diversity is not an obstacle but their greatest strength, contact us!
