, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE TO ANSWER YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Question 1
a) Critically evaluate and explain why the team is not performing well with reference to Belbin’s
team roles model.
The primary reason for the team’s failure isn't a lack of talent, but a fundamental imbalance in how
the roles interact. According to Belbin, a balanced team needs a mix of "Thinking," "Action," and
"People" roles. John’s team is heavily skewed.
1. Role Clashes and Redundancy
The "Completer Finisher" (CF) Overload: Having a CF as a Team Leader and another as a
Draftsperson is problematic. CFs are perfectionists who worry about small details.
The Conflict: A CF leader will likely micromanage the "big picture" creatives (the Plant and
Resource Investigator), stifling their flow.
The Bottleneck: With two CFs, the team likely suffers from "analysis paralysis," leading to the
late submissions John is experiencing because nothing is ever "perfect enough" to be released.
The Creative "Thinking" Surplus: You have a Plant (introverted, original ideas) and a Resource
Investigator (extroverted, networking/outside ideas). While both are creative, neither is naturally
inclined to focus on the grind of implementation.
2. The Missing "Action" Roles
The team is missing "Doing" roles like the Shaper (to provide drive and pressure) or the Implementer
(to turn ideas into manageable tasks). Without an Implementer, the brilliant ideas from the designers
aren't being structured into a practical schedule, contributing to the poor-quality, rushed work.
3. Misplaced Leadership
John is the Coordinator, which is great for oversight, but his Team Leader is a Completer Finisher.
CFs often struggle to lead because they get bogged down in the "how" rather than the "why," leading
to the stress and friction John is seeing.
Question 1
a) Critically evaluate and explain why the team is not performing well with reference to Belbin’s
team roles model.
The primary reason for the team’s failure isn't a lack of talent, but a fundamental imbalance in how
the roles interact. According to Belbin, a balanced team needs a mix of "Thinking," "Action," and
"People" roles. John’s team is heavily skewed.
1. Role Clashes and Redundancy
The "Completer Finisher" (CF) Overload: Having a CF as a Team Leader and another as a
Draftsperson is problematic. CFs are perfectionists who worry about small details.
The Conflict: A CF leader will likely micromanage the "big picture" creatives (the Plant and
Resource Investigator), stifling their flow.
The Bottleneck: With two CFs, the team likely suffers from "analysis paralysis," leading to the
late submissions John is experiencing because nothing is ever "perfect enough" to be released.
The Creative "Thinking" Surplus: You have a Plant (introverted, original ideas) and a Resource
Investigator (extroverted, networking/outside ideas). While both are creative, neither is naturally
inclined to focus on the grind of implementation.
2. The Missing "Action" Roles
The team is missing "Doing" roles like the Shaper (to provide drive and pressure) or the Implementer
(to turn ideas into manageable tasks). Without an Implementer, the brilliant ideas from the designers
aren't being structured into a practical schedule, contributing to the poor-quality, rushed work.
3. Misplaced Leadership
John is the Coordinator, which is great for oversight, but his Team Leader is a Completer Finisher.
CFs often struggle to lead because they get bogged down in the "how" rather than the "why," leading
to the stress and friction John is seeing.
