Anyone who manages a team needs to learn these theories

Anyone who manages a team needs to learn these theories

Can’t get your team on song? These teamwork theories may help you understand why

By Ernest Richardson

It is hard to think of a workplace in which teamwork doesn’t form at least a part of the dynamic among employees. Even solitary activities such as academic research or writing require cooperation with other people at some time or another.

...codifying some of the personality types involved in teams and making a virtue of them can actually be the path to team-working success.  

Trouble is, teamwork isn’t always straightforward. Indeed, as Peter Foy, director of Just Recruitment Group Ltd, explains, it can be a recipe for disaster.

“Everyone knows the old clichés about working in teams,” he says. “There’s always someone who doesn’t pull their weight. Then there’s the overbearing wannabe leader of the pack, who always has to be in charge. And then you have the shy retiring types whose brilliance is hidden by their inability to speak out.”

As it happens, Mr Foy says codifying some of the personality types involved in teams and making a virtue of them can actually be the path to team-working success.

“If every participant in a team understands the preferences and personalities of the people they’re working with, it enhances feelings of mutuality and reciprocity. Somehow, knowing who you’re working with makes it easier to put up with their foibles.”

Belbin’s Team Roles At Work

Such an insight lies behind one of the most influential management theories of the twentieth century: Dr Meredith Belbin’s “Team Roles At Work”.

Anyone who manages a team needs to learn these theoriesBelbin originally studied Classics at the University of Cambridge, but swapped to Psychology when he tired of reading ancient texts. He went on to become a leading figure in the study of human behaviour at work, and this expertise led him to formulate his groundbreaking theory concerning the roles different people play in a working environment.

In Team Roles at Work, Belbin outlines nine roles that participants in teams typically occupy. They reflect preferences such as a love of collaboration, a desire to organise, attention to detail, or a commitment to seeing tasks right through to completion.

By studying your team at an individual and collective level, it’s possible to identify the mix of “roles” at play. As Mr Foy explains, “That’s a helpful starting point to encourage collaboration, and also enables managers to identify the specific contribution each team member is likely to make.”

Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development

Of course, understanding the makeup of your team is one thing, but getting it to function effectively is quite another. “It’s so often the case that frustration creeps in when a team doesn’t seem to be on song,” says Mr Foy. “But, actually, it’s all a part of the natural order of things, as another team-working theory explains.”

This theory is associated with Bruce Tuckman, an American psychologist who published his “Stages of Group Development” in 1965. Tuckman identified four stages that a team moves through when it is first pulled together. They are:

  • Forming: the initial stage, during which team members tend to be fairly gentle with each other. Everyone is getting to know everyone else, working out their place in the group. It’s not a hugely productive period, but lays the foundations for subsequent stages.
  • Storming: At this stage, the gloves are off. People’s idiosyncrasies are starting to grate, and the differences between team members lead to conflict and disagreement. Belbin’s typology can help now, by giving every member of the group a deeper insight into the others’ personalities and preferences. The advice at this stage is to hang in there. Things will get better.
  • Norming: By enhancing mutual understanding in the team, you facilitate a process of shared becoming, during which group members learn to work with the grain of each other’s personalities, establish friendships and build trust.
  • Performing: With the team dynamic shifted from positive to negative, the group enters its final phase: delivering on its promise. A team that is performing is a joy to behold: productive, creative and highly efficient.

“By using Belbin and Tuckman, teams and their leaders can find ways of dealing with conflict,” says Mr Foy. “These theories, which are grounded in observation of the realities of team working, also help teams to persevere through hard times. They’re invaluable in helping groups deliver, whatever the context.

“As ever,” he concludes, “greater understanding yields positive outcomes for everyone. It shows the value of theory in driving business success.”

 

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:
Where’s the value in your values?
What are catalytic mechanisms?

 

Published: 12 September 2024
© Copyright Just Recruitment Group Ltd 2024

Jobs currently available

New job
Transport Coordinator
Sector: Public Service and Administration
Salary: £26,000 - £28,500 per annum
Location: Halstead
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913723
About the role

Just Recruitment is supporting a well-regarded business based in Halstead who are recruiting for a Transport Coordinator to add to their team.

You will be responsible for planning and coordinating the transportation of goods and materials from one location to another.

Key tasks include:

  • Answering incoming calls, giving product information, lead times, dealing with general enquiries and queries, redirecting calls to relevant departments.
  • Planning and coordinating the movement of goods between locations using various modes of transportation.
  • Communicating with customers, drivers, carriers, and other parties to ensure smooth and timely delivery of shipments.
  • Maintaining records and reports of transportation activities and transactions.
  • Scanning documentation.
  • Arranging couriers and/or carriers as required

Role key requirements include:

  • Strong communication, organisational, problem-solving, and multitasking skills.
  • Excellent computer skills.
  • Good eye for detail.
  • The ability to work well under pressure.
  • Courteous.

Preferred experience includes:

  • Previous Transport Coordinator experience gained within an office environment.
  • Customer Services experience would be desirable.
  • Excellent telephone manner with the ability to communicate at all levels.
  • High level of attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and experience with in-house systems.
  • Ability to multitask and prioritise own workload.

Hours:

  • Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5.00pm.
  • Friday 8.30am to 14.30pm.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
Export Administrator
Sector: Public Service and Administration
Salary: £28,000 - £34,000 per annum
Location: Halstead
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913722
About the role

Just Recruitment is supporting a well-regarded business based in Halstead with the recruitment of an Export Administrator to join their team.

You will be responsible for servicing current and prospective customers by receiving and processing orders, enquiries and general information in a timely and courteous manner.

Key tasks include:

  • Answering incoming calls, giving product information, lead times, dealing with general enquiries and queries, and redirecting calls to relevant departments.
  • Processing and managing export orders, shipments, and documentation in compliance with international regulations and procedures.
  • Providing excellent customer service and handling any queries or complaints related to export operations.
  • Maintaining accurate records and reports of export activities and transactions.

Key requirements include:

  • Excellent computer skills.
  • Good eye for detail.
  • The ability to work well under pressure.
  • Courteous.

Preferred experience includes:

  • Previous Export Administrative experience gained within an office environment.
  • Excellent telephone manner with the ability to communicate at all levels.
  • High level of attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and experience with in-house systems.
  • Ability to multitask and prioritise own workload.
  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.

Hours:

  • Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5.00pm.
  • Friday, 8.30am to 2.30pm.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
Bench Joiner
Sector: Property and Construction
Salary: Competitive
Location: Colchester
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913700
About the role

Just Recruitment is working with a growing organisation, based on the outskirts of Colchester, to recruit a Bench Joiner to join their highly skilled and established team.

You will be working on a variety of bespoke projects — the key purpose of this role is to manage your day-to-day duties, including carpentry using hand and power tools, framing and finish carpentry. This is a team role, working collaboratively across the wider business, to create exceptional joinery pieces.

Key requirements for this role:

  • Own set of tools is a must!
  • Experience in a similar role
  • 3D/2D design experience
  • Joinery background
  • High level of attention to detail
  • Effective analytical skills
  • Systematic approach to tasks

Working hours for this role are Monday to Friday. 07.30 to 16.30.

Over time is available.

Free on-site parking is available, along with a great working environment, opportunities for career progression, and the chance to work with new, automated processes and equipment — full training provided.

This role offers a really competitive package.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
Cleaner (part-time)
Sector: Customer Services
Salary: £12.21 per hour
Location: Ipswich
Role: Part Time
Contract: Temporary
Job ref: JT-IPS-C-0725
About the role

Just Temps is supporting a company in Ipswich, seeking an experienced Cleaner to join their team on a temporary basis. This is a great opportunity for someone looking for short-term evening work.

Hours: 5.00pm to 9.00pm (Monday to Friday)

Role responsibilities include:

  • General office cleaning across multiple floors
  • Cleaning of toilets, canteen areas, and communal spaces
  • Lifting and transporting heavy cleaning equipment up and down stairs
  • Ensuring high standards of cleanliness are maintained throughout the building

Requirements:

  • Previous cleaning experience is essential
  • Capable of handling heavy equipment
  • Reliable and punctual with a strong work ethic
  • Comfortable working independently across various areas of the building

Benefits:

  • Competitive hourly rate
  • Evening hours – ideal for fitting around other commitments
  • Supportive team environment

Free parking is available on-site.

 

Just Temps acts as an Employment Business for the supply of Temporary Staff.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. 
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
Technical Support Supervisor
Sector: Engineering and Manufacturing
Location: Sudbury
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913720
About the role

Just Recruitment is working with a growing organisation based in Sudbury to recruit a Technical Support Supervisor to join their long-standing team.

Due to business growth, this newly created position is responsible for supporting technical operations to ensure the smooth functioning of the technical systems, processes and projects under the guidance of the division's business leader.

The role is crucial in aligning the company’s technical capabilities with business goals, ensuring that the products are designed and manufactured/assembled to operate effectively and securely.

You will need to demonstrate experience in project management and implementation, technical experience and industry best practices. You will also need to show knowledge of compliance with relevant laws, regulations and industry standards.

Key requirements include:

  • Troubleshooting skills, to investigate and resolve technical issues relating to products
  • Provide technical support and training to other team members, including sales
  • Support the development and implementation of new products
  • Ability to produce accurate bills of materials (BOMS) and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • Experience in computer-aided design (CAD) and the ability to produce product drawings
  • Basic software programming skills would be an advantage
  • Sound understanding of electronics

This is a site-based role.

This role offers a very competitive package and a great working environment.


Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more