Jo Keeler: Building effective teamwork using Belbin team roles

In this episode, Steve Vaughan interviews Joe Keeler, the Managing Director of Belbin Ltd. They discuss the concept of Belbin team roles and how they can help teams work better together. The Belbin team roles theory originated from research conducted at Henley Business School in the 1960s and has since been applied in various industries. The theory identifies nine distinct clusters of behavior that are crucial for team performance. Each team member has a preferred team role, and understanding these roles can help teams identify gaps and optimize their performance. Belbin is a tool that helps teams understand their strengths and weaknesses by identifying nine different team roles. These roles include the Resource Investigator, Team Worker, Coordinator, Shaper, Implementer, Completer Finisher, Plant, Monitor Evaluator, and Specialist. Each role has its own unique characteristics and contributions to the team. Belbin can be used in various contexts, including team building, recruitment, and sales. It helps individuals become more self-aware and understand their impact on others. The future of Belbin lies in promoting the importance of teamwork and celebrating diversity within teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Belbin team roles theory originated from research conducted at Henley Business School in the 1960s.
• There are nine distinct clusters of behavior that are crucial for team performance.
• Each team member has a preferred team role, and understanding these roles can help teams identify gaps and optimize their performance.
• Managers should be realistic and recognize the strengths of each team member to effectively manage and get the most out of their team. Belbin helps teams understand their strengths and weaknesses through nine different team roles.
• It promotes self-awareness and helps individuals understand their impact on others.
• Belbin can be used in team building, recruitment, and sales strategies.
• The future of Belbin lies in promoting the importance of teamwork and celebrating diversity within teams.

Steve Vaughan, Jonathan Cooper, Pru Layton, Christian Walter, Pascal le Floche, Jayne Green and Jonathan Slasinski are Sales Trainers from george james ltd. You can email the show at: Podcast@georgejames-training.com

The trainers on LinkedIn:

Steve Vaughan https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-vaughan-salestrainer/
Jonathan Cooper https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cooper-18716b1/
Pru Layton https://www.linkedin.com/in/pru-layton-b46a3528/
Christian Walter https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-walter-a1857b1/
Jayne Green https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayne-green-salestrainer/
Pascal Le Floch-Riche https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascal-le-floch-220ba46/

Jonathan Slasinski https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-slasinski-449a655/

george james training website https://georgejames-training.com/

Chapters

• 0:36 Introduction and Background of Joe Keeler
• 4:50 Introduction to Belbin Team Roles
• 9:47 The Importance of Diversity in Team Behaviors
• 14:12 Recognizing Individual Strengths and Gaps in Team Roles
• 25:15 Belbin: Behavioral vs Personality Assessments
• 29:35 Using Belbin in Sales and Negotiation