The Nine Team Roles
| Role | Contribution | Typical blind spot |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitator | Clarifies goals, guides decisions | Over-delegating |
| Idea Generator | Original ideas | Ignoring details |
| Opportunity Scout | Contacts and opportunities | Losing interest |
| Driver | Momentum and challenge | Steamrolling others |
| Analyst | Careful evaluation | Seeming negative |
| Harmoniser | Team cohesion | Avoiding conflict |
| Organiser | Plans and processes | Rigidity |
| Quality Guardian | Accuracy and completion | Perfectionism |
| Expert | Specialist knowledge | Narrow focus |
Read the team roles guide for how the roles work together.
How It Works
You rate 27 statements, three per role. Each role is scored from 0% to 100%. Your top role is your natural contribution, and your second and third roles are ones you can play when needed.
The role names and statements are original to PrismaTest. This test is not the Belbin Team Inventory, a commercial instrument with its own role names.
Where Team Role Thinking Comes From
- Benne and Sheats (1948) described “task roles” such as initiator and evaluator, and “maintenance roles” such as harmoniser and encourager, in their study of group behaviour.
- Meredith Belbin, researching management teams at Henley Management College in the 1970s, found that teams with a balance of behavioural roles outperformed teams of brilliant but similar people. His work made team roles popular in workplaces worldwide.
- Later research suggests role balance helps, but trust, clear goals and psychological safety, studied by Amy Edmondson and in Google’s Project Aristotle, matter at least as much.
Building A Balanced Team
- Map the roles: ask everyone to take the test and share their top two.
- Spot gaps: no Quality Guardian? Deadlines may slip. No Analyst? Risky decisions may pass unchallenged.
- Assign by strength: let Idea Generators brainstorm and Quality Guardians check the final product.
- Value every role: the Harmoniser’s work is often invisible but essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have more than one team role?
Yes. Most people have two or three strong roles and adapt to what a team needs.
Which role is best?
None. Teams need a mix; an all-Driver team argues, an all-Analyst team never decides.
Can my role change?
Yes. Roles shift with experience, team composition and the task.
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