Sabre uses the Belbin Model to help teams enhance understanding across multi-generational work teams and thrive in complexity.
In an increasingly complex world workplaces are characterised by escalating disruption, and competition. Effective team dynamics and management of increasingly autonomous small teams is paramount.
The Belbin Model, a proven framework identifying nine distinct behavioural team roles with accompanying strengths and weaknesses, has proven invaluable in enhancing team dynamics in complex environments.
By leveraging the insights provided through individual and team Belbin reports, organisations can quickly understand and empower their teams—especially those now composed of more Millennial and Gen Z members—to navigate the challenges of modern business and government environments.
Understanding the Belbin Model
The Belbin Model helps define, measure and offer advice based on 9 researched clusters of behaviour that bring strengths and weaknesses to a team’s collective performance.
We are not just one or two of these roles in isolation, rather a unique and situational blend based on many factors including our experiences, personality, motivations, thinking power and the context of current role and peers. Belbin is thankfully not a pigeon holing tool, it takes into account the potential adaptability of human behaviour.
These 9 Belbin Team Roles put very simply are:
Plant: Creative problem-solvers and innovators.
Resource Investigator: Networkers who bring in new opportunities.
Co-ordinator: Delegators who focus on team goals.
Shaper: Drivers who thrive under pressure and push for results.
Monitor Evaluator: Analytical thinkers offering unbiased insights.
Teamworker: Diplomats who ensure harmony within the team.
Implementer: Practical organisers who translate ideas into actions.
Completer Finisher: Detail-oriented individuals ensuring quality and thoroughness.
Specialist: Experts with in-depth knowledge in specific areas.
These roles allow teams to balance creative, operational, and interpersonal dynamics, enhancing their capacity to adapt to disruption and complexity, providing they are well-understood and the surpluses and deficits of these roles are managed. A lack of a role may have adverse impacts, and so too can an over representation of certain roles.
Leveraging Belbin Reports for Individuals and Teams
Belbin reports assess individual preferences, strengths, and allowable weaknesses, helping to identify each person’s natural inclinations and areas for development. At the team level, reports aggregate this data to provide an overview of the collective capabilities and gaps.
Tracking Strengths and Weaknesses: Belbin reports highlight who excels in specific roles and where redundancies or voids may exist. For example, a team heavy on creative Plants but lacking Implementers might struggle to turn ideas into action. By identifying such imbalances, leaders can assign tasks strategically and hire or train to fill gaps.
Managing Disruption and Risk: In high-stakes situations, knowing each team member’s strengths enables swift and effective role allocation. For example, Shapers and Co-ordinators can offer drive or direction during crises, while Monitor Evaluators help assess risks and propose data-driven strategies. Complementary roles, such as Teamworkers and Completer Finishers, help maintain cohesion and attention to detail under pressure.
Adaptation and Resilience: Millennials and Gen Z, known for valuing purpose and collaboration, often seek environments that recognise and utilise their unique skills. Belbin reports provide a tangible way to showcase individual contributions, discuss them and align them with team goals, fostering engagement and reducing turnover.
A Tool for Modern Complexity and Challenges
The generational diversity in today’s workplaces necessitates tools that transcend traditional management approaches. The Belbin Model equips teams to appreciate varied work styles and adapt to evolving scenarios. For instance:
In government workplaces, where cross-functional and inter-generational collaboration is vital, Belbin reports ensure that projects benefit from diverse perspectives while maintaining alignment with policy objectives.
In business, where competition demands agility, understanding team dynamics helps organisations respond swiftly to market changes and competition with increasing reliance upon self-managed and balanced teams.
The Belbin Model is not just a framework; it’s a roadmap for navigating complexity with confidence. By embracing the insights from Belbin reports, teams and organisations can build resilient, high-performing relationships with one-another and within teams.
Millennials and Gen Z coming into workplaces thrive in environments that leverage their unique strengths, and the Belbin Model provides the structure to better articulate and do just that.
As workplaces face unprecedented challenges, the Belbin Model ensures teams remain adaptable, cohesive, and ready for the future.
Comments