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Understand Team Roles

Guest post by: S Foram

Article Overview: As this profile suggests, team members play multiple roles. Each pattern of behavior contributes something to the mechanics and dynamics of the team. Logically enough, individual members and the team as a group must work out these roles, Defining roles often explains how certain teammates behave with each other and relate to the team as a whole.

Understand Team Roles

As this profile suggests, team members play multiple roles. Each pattern of behavior contributes something to the mechanics and dynamics of the team. Logically enough, individual members and the team as a group must work out these roles, Defining roles often explains how certain teammates behave with each other and relate to the team as a whole. Task Roles: These are individual team-member assignments that help the team reach its goals, maintain, and preserve its identity and reputation, and "get the job done"

Task roles might include, for example, completing a certain activity such as gathering data for, writing, or preparing statistics to accompany a report; making specific types of decisions; or coordinating certain activities with those of related teams. Task roles contribute to the team's success.

Maintenance Roles: These are behaviors that keep the team unified and moving forward: resolving conflicts, supporting and coordinating member's individual efforts, filling in for each other or taking up the slack when problems arise, challenging the team's decisions and direction. Achieving consensus and compromise, and respecting teammate's diversity and individual differences whether occupational or cultural.

Personal Roles: These are self-serving "what's in it for me"roles. They can be played out consciously or subconsciously. The list is probably endless, but here are a few common ones.

1. Gadfly: This person relishes the spotlight and some healthy reality checks. Gadflies challenge complacency and the status quo.

2. Grandstander / egotist: This person relished the spotlight and has trouble sacrificing personal recognition for group recognition.

3. Thinker: Thinkers enjoy a challenge. They turn issues upside down and inside out to better understand what makes they tick. They're valuable assets to any team.

4. Peacemaker: This person is moderators who can help warring factions find common ground. Peacemakers tend to be objective and levelheaded.

5. Comedian: A comedian can be good for comic relief, but the team can't allow the class clown to run away with its meeting. The comedian's humor is refreshing as long as it doesn't get out of control.

6. Distracter: Distracters introduce irrelevant information or issues. They have trouble focusing on team's goals.

7. Nitpicker: Second cousin to the gadfly. Nitpickers can remind less-meticulous teammates of the need to pay attention to details.

8. Dominator: Has trouble seeing other's point of view. Often loud and overly aggressive, dominators have a "my way or the highway" attitude.

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Article Tags: mechanics, team members, team roles, teammates, teamwork, teamwork roles



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