Even though we cannot predict the behaviour of single individuals, we should be able to
Zimbardo, Ebbesen & Maslach
predict that people (in general) will change their behaviour if we can change their attitudes of
greatest relevance to the behaviour in question. We cannot predict which people will change or
how much they will change, but a change in the attitudes of the population should be
accompanied by a change in behaviour of the population.
I worked for the Company for twelve years before I realised that managers were there to help
Philip Crosby
me. Before that, I thought that they were a punishment from God.
This section discusses how to obtain a high performing team. The team, of course, consists of individuals who will have a variety of personal values and characteristics, desires, This section discusses how to obtain a high performing team. The team, of course, consists of individuals who will have a variety of personal values and characteristics, desires,
Team Composition
A concept which is fundamental to good people management is that people are different.
This may sound obvious, but many managers make the mistake of believing that other
people are (or should be) like themselves – in the way they solve problems, the things they
find important in the job, the way they like to be treated and so on. Once one begins to
spot differences, it is tempting to focus on the weaknesses of team members, especially if
these weaknesses are in the areas of one’s own personal strengths. It can be harder to do
the opposite, and appreciate where colleagues have strengths in the areas where one may
be weaker. A ‘macho’ manager who sees himself/herself as tough and decisive, for instance,
can easily overlook and undervalue the sensitivity which a quieter colleague is using to
defuse conflicts. Good managers can recognise and exploit the different strengths people
bring to a team, without focusing excessively on their weaknesses.
One model which can help appreciate differences is Meredith Belbin’s team roles. Belbin
suggests that when a manager selects positions for team members, he/she should bear in
mind not only their technical and functional skills but also the skills which they
contribute to the performance of the team. This second set of skills is what Belbin calls
the team role of the individual team member.
Team building – for enhanced performance the Belbin theory
The Company Worker and the Completer-Finisher concentrate on getting the task
done, as efficiently as possible. They are both conscientious and reliable.
The Company Worker turns ideas into actions; the Completer-Finisher searches out
errors and omissions.
The Chairman and the Shaper offer two different, but clearly recognisable leadership
styles. The Chairman is a calm, confident chairperson, good at clarifying goals and
delegating. The Shaper is more dynamic, often impatient, with the drive and courage to
overcome obstacles.
The Plant and the Resource Investigator both provide creativity. The Plant is a source of
original ideas, able to approach problems in radically new ways. Resource Investigators
do not think up original solutions themselves, but create external contacts and bring
relevant information back to the team.
The Monitor-Evaluator is a “thinker” like the Plant, but the strength of this team role
becomes evident when the team makes decisions; the Monitor Evaluator remains
objective, sees all the options and judges accurately.
The Team Worker is the promoter of harmony and unity; Team Workers are particularly
valuable as counterbalances to the friction caused typically by Shapers, Plants and
occasionally by Monitor-Evaluators.
The Specialist is single-minded and dedicated, and provides knowledge and skills in
short supply.
Different projects need different skills. Innovative projects will need Plants; projects in
large, matrix organizations may benefit from the networking skills of Resource
Investigators and the diplomacy of Chairpersons and Team Workers; Monitor-Evaluators
enhance the quality and accuracy of complex systems; Shapers will go fearlessly into
battle if the project is becoming stuck in a bureaucratic system. It is difficult to imagine
any project which would not need its complement of Company Workers, and
Completer-Finishers will prove their value when aiming for a tight time scale.
A team may be fortunate in having a natural distribution of these team roles. Often this
is not the case. Belbin’s model can be used to identify gaps (e.g. no Plants, or no Team
Workers) and overlaps (e.g. two noisy Shapers). The model can also help resolve some of
the conflicts which occur; e.g. a very critical Monitor-Evaluator who keeps shooting
down suggestions.
For instance, it may be easier to be tolerant if a manager realises it is the person’s
intention is not to kill enthusiasm but to give a rigorous check of the validity of the idea.
The table below illustrates some thumbnail sketches of the “Belbin” types.
