“Part of the Team – Part of the Ship.” Or Why Negative Roles Should Be in Every Team

How would you feel if I told you that an ideal team might include provocateurs, manipulators, toxic, nervous, indecisive, tough, nervous and vague people?

Many people think that there is no place for such people in an “ideal” team. But that is not the case! And in life, such “ideal” teams fall apart quite quickly.
“Why?” you ask.

Because in a team, as in a company, everyone should be different, and this difference unites people.

Raymond Belbin (PhD in Psychology) identified 9 types of behavior in a team and called them “team roles”.

He defined team role as: “The tendency to behave, contribute, and interact with others in a certain way.”

I will give a description of the “negative qualities” of the main roles of the ideal team “according to Belbin” (I am deliberately skipping the 9th role, since it is not always obvious):

1. Too busy to share information

2. Loses interest in work when enthusiasm wears off

3. Manipulates others and often delegates tasks

4. Provokes and hurts other people's feelings

5. Unable to inspire others and slow to make decisions

6. Indecisive in disputes and decision making

7. Rigid and unyielding, does not support new opportunities

8. Overly anxious, nervous and intolerant of accidents

Cool – right? The whole negative list is collected here and it seems that such a team is simply doomed to failure.

Now I will describe for each number the role name and its positive qualities – just compare each number with the list above:

1. Idea Generator – Out-of-the-box thinking and ability to solve complex problems

2. The Resource Explorer is an enthusiast who seizes opportunities and develops contacts

3. Coordinator – self-confident, communicates goals well and delegates tasks skillfully

4. Motivator – dynamically seeks solutions and overcomes obstacles

5. Analyst-expert – insight in analyzing all possibilities and making accurate assessments

6. Team Inspirer – Diplomacy and Conflict Prevention

7. The Implementer is a reliable partner who turns ideas into action

8. Controller – conscientiously finds errors and completes everything on time

In other words, it is impossible for a person to have only positive qualities without any shortcomings. If you need a competent motivator, then be prepared that provocations will be one of his tools for “daring”.

And it is not at all necessary for the team to consist of 8 people with different roles. It can be a small team of 3-4 people, each of whom combines 2-3 roles. According to Professor Belbin, the optimal team is 4-6 people.

So, advice for IT teams: If you find someone in your team who fits the negative qualities listed above, take a closer look at them. They may also have positive qualities for the role, and they will have a much better impact on the team.

When selecting a team, remember that all roles must be covered by someone. Then you will get an ideal team that will not fall apart in the middle of the project.

Now I will share the Belbin Triangle diagram.

The vertices of the triangle are the focus on three blocks (three Whales), without which the team will not achieve success – People, Ideas, Tasks:

1. People – their inspiration, dealing with conflicts, maintaining a positive spirit.
   The “Team Mastermind” is responsible for this peak.

2. Ideas — search for innovative unusual ideas, their detailed development, analysis of various opportunities that open up in the project. This block is closed by the “Idea Generator”, “Resource Researcher” and “Analyst”.
   While the Generator creates new ideas, the Resource Researcher is happy to adopt them from other companies or people. And the Analyst is engaged in detailed analysis and criticism of all ideas coming from team members.

3. Tasks — focus on solving problems, achieving the set goal, implementing the proposed ideas, closing routine tasks, checking and monitoring the quality of the project implementation. This is the area of ​​responsibility of the “Implementer”, “Controller” and “Motivator”.
   Implementers take their colleagues’ suggestions and ideas and turn them into positive actions. The Motivator provides the necessary impetus to keep the team moving and focused. The Controller goes the extra mile to make sure everything is double-checked and meets expectations.

The “Coordinator” is in the middle of this triangle—a likely candidate to chair the team because he or she has the ability to step back to see the big picture. Coordinators are confident, stable, and mature, and because they recognize the abilities of others, they are very good at delegating tasks and clarifying decisions, helping everyone else focus on their own tasks.

Please note that there is only one Inspirer (or Soul of the team) responsible for the People.
He is diplomatic, able to listen to others and calm, prevent or smooth over conflicts. He acts as the “oil” between the cogs that ensure the smooth operation of the machine, i.e. the team. Due to his unwillingness to take sides, he may not be able to take decisive action when necessary.

If your team does not have an “Inspirer” (or the Soul of the Team), the entire triangle collapses. The team will be covered by a wave of conflicts and demotivation. There will be no “glue” that holds the team together and prevents it from falling apart.

If you find a “shoulder-shoulder” or a “chatterbox” in your team who doesn’t show the required productivity and doesn’t help you “close the sprint quickly,” then take a closer look at them – what if this is the same Inspirer?!?

An ill-considered decision to replace them with more productive employees can play a cruel joke on you – you will simply lose the Inspirer. And, having upset the balance in the team, you risk destroying the entire team.

Think about it…