Group roles

Co-ordinator – Mostly A’s

Person-orientated leader.
Recognises the skills of the individuals and how they can be used.
Pulls People and tasks together.
Tries to maintain harmony among the team members.
Good at controlling people and events and co-ordinating resources.
Good judge of people.
Co-ordinates team efforts and leads by eliciting respect.
Clarifies group objectives, sets the agenda, establishes priorities, selects problems, sums up and is decisive, but does not dominate discussions.
Trusting, accepting, dominant, and is committed to team goals and objectives.
Positive thinker who approves of goal attainment, struggle and effort in others.
Tolerant enough always to listen to others, but strong enough to reject their advise.

Shaper – Mostly B’s

A natural leader who can command respect and motivate and enthuse others, provided the negative behaviours are controlled
An outgoing and dominant person who has to be careful not to be domineering
Urges the team to achievement of the team objectives
Impatient with complacency and lack of progress and can overreact
Has energy, determination and initiative to overcome obstacles
Brings competitive drive to the team
Gives shape to the team effort, looking for patterns in discussions and practical considerations regarding the feasibility of the project
Can steamroller the team but gets results.

Plant – Mostly C’s

An ideas person, full of creativity
Usually a dominant person, but can be serious minded and introverted
Dislikes orthodoxy and not too concerned with practicalities
Potentially the most creative person in the team, sometimes ‘planted’ in a team for this purpose
Imaginative, intelligent and the team’s source of original ideas
Provides suggestions and proposals that are usually original and radical
Tends to take radical approaches to team functioning and problems
Plants are more concerned with major issues than with details.

Monitor-evaluator – Mostly D’s

The logical, analytical, objective processor in the team
Tends to be unobtrusive until special qualities are needed
Cautious and critical of loose thinking in others
Not imaginative or creative, but suggests team consider alternatives
Offers measured, dispassionate critical analysis
Keeps team from pursuing misguided objectives
Judicious, prudent, intelligent person
Contributes at times of crucial decision making because they are capable of evaluating competing proposals
Serious minded and not deflected by emotional arguments
Tends to be slow in coming to a decision because of need to think things over and takes pride in never being wrong.

Resource investigator – Mostly E’s

Goes outside the team to bring in ideas, information and developments
Extroverted, outgoing, enthusiastic when investigating anything new
Can stimulate discussion, but soon gets tired after initial buzz
Skilled at finding and starting to use resources
Popular, sociable, relaxed
Good improviser with many external contacts
May be easily diverted from task at hand
Good negotiators who probe other people for information and support and pick up other’s ideas and develop them.

Implementer/Company Worker – Mostly F’s

A stable, self-disciplined member, aware of the team’s obligation internally and externally
Very practical and needs convincing of the practicalities of new ideas
Conservative and reactionary
Happy when involved in working out methods, procedures and rules for implementation
Methodical and trustworthy
Turns decisions and strategies into defined and manageable tasks, sorting out objectives and pursuing them logically
Aware of external obligations and are disciplined and conscientious
Characterised by low anxiety and tend to work for the team in a practical, realistic way.
Tend to do the jobs that others do not want to do and do them well.

Team Worker – Mostly G’s

Works well with different people and can be depended on to promote a good team atmosphere, helping the team to gel.
Diplomatic and sensitive to the feelings of others, not seen as a threat.
Supportive and a good listener, able to recognise and resolve the development of conflict and other difficulties.
>Good at building on the ideas of others.
Likeable and unassertive.
Make helpful interventions to avert potential friction and enable difficult characters within the team to use their skills to positive ends.
Tend to keep the team spirit up and allow other members to contribute effectively.
Their diplomatic skills together with their sense of humour are assets to the team.
Sensitive and people –orientated.

Completer – Mostly H’s

An introverted perfectionist, interested in detail and seeking high standards in self and others
Finishes tasks thoroughly, giving them complete attention
Can antagonise others through the over-attention to detail
Worries about problems, personally checks details
Maintains a permanent sense of urgency with relentless follow through
They make steady effort and are consistent in their work.

University of Birmingham