Behind Belbin?, there is rigorous research and an international group with team behaviours!

Next to the word ‘team’ you will find - in all recent HR and Organizational Behaviour books - the word ‘Belbin’ that attests the methodology’s sustained efficacy to identify and advise on any team issues, recruitment choices and personal – professional development.

In a digitalised world with many rapid market and IT related changes and the eve of virtual reality already in the rise, being able to adapt to any team culture and modus operandi is key for both companies and employees for two main reasons: 1. Produce the desirable results fast and 2. Avoid errors, mistakes and risks.

Teamwork is learnt as Dr Belbin said years ago and should be taught at a younger age instead of waiting to learn it when we have finally found our first job.

It was in 2008 that I decided to learn more about the Belbin? methodology, feeling disorientated and stressed because of the negative work environment I was working at. The methodology was not unknown to me as it was explained during my MBA course as part of our HR Skills and Consultancy Skills modules, only this time I wanted to gain more insights to understand how I should manage myself in a team, what to observe and avoid and who to work with and how!

It was during those days indeed that I finally understood the difference between a group and a team. In the years of my career as a change management consultant, coaching different teams and their leaders, I have recorded so many cases where 'team' is only in the word, used and misused.

A team is not about just a common objective but about specific contributions that add value and which require a conscious decision and effort to communicate and collaborate with people that have different skills, experiences and communications style.

The accreditation training by Deborah (who still works and leads the training programs at Belbin? UK) walked me through a world that made practical sense and offered me relief and the tools to develop myself to understand what makes and what breaks teamwork and after the time I thought was necessary for me to gain the expertise needed, to start helping people in teams (and HR teams) rethink and realign their performance and behaviour.

Today, through my company Progress Through Limited, I am practicing the Belbin-Lean approach with the diligence, empathy and devotion recognised for.

There are hundreds of negative work behaviours but only nine clusters of positive work behaviours which according to the Belbin? methodology can be identified, explained, and developed.

It is not about just personality when people are in teams at work.

It is about their skills (and how they will make use of them under different situations, it is about their knowledge (and interest and capacity to learn) and their adaptability (the extent they want/can adapt to what the organisation is or wants to become).

Hence, the observers’ feedback with a questionnaire that was developed over 10 years of research, and which offers the Belbin? consultants and participants the opportunity to discuss and work on defined areas with practical precision.

It is not about men or women at work.

It is not about age. It is not about social class.

It is about understanding how individuals contribute, behave and communicate at work, in different situations and with different team members and team leaders.

It is about changing to new operations faster than you think just because you know what to say and how to channel change

On the 15th of July, The Belbin Regional Representatives met after many years to celebrate once more the effectiveness of the Belbin methodology, as well as greet Dr Belbin and commemorate the International Belbin Conference held at Hinxton Hall Conference Centre (UK) ?from the 16th till the 17th of July.

Exchanging information on projects, the positive effect of putting University students in balanced teams and teaching teamwork earlier than University level (great work from the Belbin Representatives in Spain and Poland) as well as the positive effect of the Belbin approach on sales teams (life-long work of Belbin Representatives of Sweden, Netherlands and France) were heavily discussed.

Belbin China, Belbin S. Korea and Belbin India shared the facts of how the Belbin methodology supports managers and leaders improve teamwork and productivity, measuring results through selected KPIs. I am thankful to Lin Hongyun for the wonderful Pu’Er ?tea shared with us and HongMi Chae for explaining how she as an RI is bringing in a more creative yet commercial focus in a team of SPs!

I would also like to mention the contribution of the Belbin Estonia, Belbin New Zealand and Belbin North America with the amazing Plant Creativity as well as the research of Deniz Dinc (the Belbin Representative in Turkey) on the Team Roles liked and exhibited by Turkish managers (and perceived by their observers), showing interesting results on the Team Roles women in mid-level management positions appreciate and think they exhibit versus what their observers experience.

Finally, I would like to thank the Belbin Representative of Nigeria, Maureen for our discussion on how the Belbin Team Roles are perceived in Nigeria on senior leadership level.

Committing to International Collaboration as we have already practiced for years, over the next months, we, the Belbin Representatives will be organising online events and will be posting articles and news to inform our clients and potential clients on the Scientific Rigour, the Added Value, the Practical Step-by Step application of the Belbin Team Role theory.

Have a nice summer holiday and if you want, after your holidays, do email me at [email protected] for any questions!

You are welcome! ?

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