Free Resources
The files provided below are free for you to download and use. For more information on any inventory or profile, please click the relevant heading.
Handouts
Belbin Team Role Descriptions (Adobe Acrobat)
This handout outlines the strengths and allowable weaknesses which characterise each of the nine Team Roles.
Belbin Article - Team Roles in a Nutshell (Adobe Acrobat)
An introduction to the theory and the nine Team Roles. Great to use as a handout during team feedback sessions.
Belbin Dos and Don'ts (Adobe Acrobat)
This handout helps an an individual to become a 'good example of the type' by giving advice on things to do, and things to avoid doing, for each Team Role
Sample Reports
Belbin Self-Perception Report (Adobe Acrobat)
This report is produced on completion of the Belbin Self-Perception Inventory (SPI). It is a four-page report, based on the individual's perception of their own Team Role contribution. The report presents and analyses the implications of an individual's Team Role "fingerprint", including how to play to present oneself, play to strengths and avoid potential pitfalls, and advice on managerial style.
Belbin Self-Perception Report (including Observers) (Adobe Acrobat)
This report is produced on completion of the Belbin Self-Perception Inventory (SPI) and with the addition of four or more observers (completing Observer Assessments). It is an eight-page report, analysing the individual's perception of their own Team Role contribution, alongside the feedback of their colleagues, managers and others that have worked closely with the individual.
Belbin Team/Group Report (Adobe Acrobat)
This report is compiled by analysing three or more Self-Perception profiles (with or without Observer Assessments). To produce all pages shown, the team must comprise between three and fifteen team members. The report gives information on the Team Role distribution within the team, including any gaps or overlaps.
Other Resources
What are Belbin Team Roles? Streamed from YouTube
(Taken from Fire, Toast and Teamwork DVD extras)
What are 'Specialists'? Streamed from YouTube
(Taken from Fire, Toast and Teamwork DVD extras)
An interview with Dr. Meredith Belbin Streamed from YouTube
(Taken from Fire, Toast and Teamwork DVD extras)
A Flash Introduction to Belbin Team Roles
Flash Introduction to Belbin Team Role Reports
Team session ideas
Team buiding session - Idea 1
The format for this session will depend on the number of participants you are working with, and whether they are a team, or are from different departments or organisations.
If it is a working team, it may be best not to split it up, unless it is a large team which naturally breaks into smaller sub-teams. Otherwise, divide participants into “teams” of approximately five or six. Ask each team to draw the circle on a flipchart and to enter their names in the segments which correspond to their top two Team Roles.
If participants have the full, eight-page Belbin report, ask each person to use their first two Team Roles on the “overall ranking” at the bottom of the first page – “Assessment Results in Rank Order”.
If participants have only the four-page Self-Perception report, they should use the first page – “Self-Perception Team Role Profile” to identify the two highest-scoring roles.
When names have been entered, encourage discussion and analysis of the findings. Using their newly-acquired knowledge of Team Roles, ask participants to come up with a list of five strengths of the team, and five possible weaknesses. This may include statements such as: “We have three Team Workers, and no Shapers. This means that we are at risk of losing direction and focus. However, the atmosphere within the team is likely to be very supportive.”
On completion of this exercise, ask participants to come up with three action points based on their discussions, which will enable the team to increase its effectiveness.
(If you want the team, or teams, to see how well team-members work together on a task, this would be a good time to introduce an exercise or game. The Belbin exercises, Contribute and Co-operate, have been designed to assist with team learning. You will find information about these on the right hand side of this page.)
Ask the participants to think of a real or imaginary project and to agree the stages that the project will follow, step by step. For example:
- A problem was identified
- Various approaches/solutions were put forth
- Ideas discussed - best one agreed on
- The idea was outsourced to check viability
- A plan was put in place
Participants then discuss which Team Role(s) would be useful at each stage of the project, and which would be unhelpful (e.g. Plants and Resource Investigators for ideas, Co-ordinators and Implemetors for organising people and work, Monitor Evaulators for strategic decision making etc.).
If appropriate, encourage a discussion which leads to understanding as to why some past projects succeeded, whilst others failed.
Once the Belbin reports have been explained and handed back to the individuals, they could repeat the process, but this time replacing the useful Team Role with their name. This gives a great template for the team to use in the future.
Case Studies
We would like to add real case studies to this page to help others see how Belbin Team Roles can be applied (successfully!).
If you would like to contribute, your case study should highlight the need, why Belbin was chosen to address the need, what was actually done, and the outcome. We would be looking for an excerpt of 150 - 250 words.
We would like to include individual and company details, along with any appropriate logo and website address.
Please contact Jo Keeler (jo@belbin.com) if interested! We look forward to hearing from you.
If you have any queries or comments on any Belbin product or service, please call
+44 (0) 1223 264975.