This page will help you understand the balance of skills, abilities and aspirations in your team, so you can harness them effectively.
One of the great strengths of an effective team is its blend of talents and abilities. It’s useful to understand the blend within your own team so you can ensure each team member is playing to their strengths and working with others most effectively.
For example, one team member may consistently come up with new ideas, while another may excel at turning ideas into practical action. Encouraging these individuals to work together in an idea generating workshop would be a valuable way to harness each of their strengths.
Belbin’s team roles model is a tool you can use to understand the balance of behaviours and skills within your team. The model was developed by researcher and management consultant Dr Meredith Belbin.
It consists of nine ‘team roles’ that combine to make up a balanced and effective team.
Belbin’s team roles report lets you see which role(s) each member of your team most identifies with.
The report can help you:
Once you have a clearer understanding of the roles within your team, you can consider the following questions.
Understanding the gaps in your team can help you create effective development plans. This is particularly important in smaller charities, where individuals tend to be responsible for a wider range of tasks.
Last reviewed: 29 August 2023
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