Q. How do you facilitate a group of team building specialists?

A. One nail at a time!

In January the Maximillion team decided to take a bit of our own medicine; taking some time out for a bit of individual and collective introspection and appreciation of strengths and development areas, revisiting and consolidating our existing knowledge of Belbin Team Roles, whilst taking the opportunity to integrate new members into our team.

We asked Lead Facilitator Vicky Russell, who has been delivering some very successful Belbin workshops to our clients in the UK, Dubai and Singapore in the last year, to facilitate a half day Belbin Team Roles workshop.

Prior to the day, on the back of the online Self Perception Inventory (SPI), everyone was requested to obtain a minimum of four Observer Assessments (OAs). The combination of both SPI and OAs would go towards the production of a full Belbin Team Role Profile for each team member. A collective Team report for the whole team was also created.

Vicky took us through a structured afternoon session, which included an initial, fun ice-breaker activity (where we disclosed in depth insights into our personalities through our personal drawings of a favourite farmyard animal!). After some initial context and expectation setting for the workshop, we then went headlong into a cross-team competition involving a practical, experiential challenge – the gravity-defying, head-scratching Nail Game. Needless to say, neither team was totally successful in cracking it, but the shared experience of undertaking the activity allowed us to start appreciating the different  team roles, allied behaviours and approaches to problem-solving that an individual will display when tasked with a complex, time-bound project.

Using the activity as the platform to launch into the Belbin methodology, a facilitated process followed which helped raise awareness of the implications and applications of our individual and collective team role preferences back in the workplace.

In terms of outcomes, what was extremely useful was to see how we as a team play to each other’s strengths.

According to the whole team role report:

“This team contains a higher-than-average proportion of people-oriented professionals. It is likely to be greatly respected for its pleasant approach and its special expertise. This team is likely to get on well together with good atmosphere and a sense of shared responsibility. This will all make for a very pleasant working environment. Its strength will be in its caring attitude and ability to adapt and respond to others.”

From an individual perspective, the following key points were highlighted for each member of the team:

 

• Danielle “Your operating style is one of responding to needs and of rendering support to others, which can prove invaluable when errors could compromise a project.”
• Nick “You are likely to be naturally gregarious and good at presenting yourself to best advantage, so ensure that discussion is thorough”
• Jonathan “Your overall style is that of a well-equipped team player. Whether the focus is on the individual or the team you have the ability to make your mark by offering well informed support and advice”
• Sandy “You are most likely to have made your mark as someone with a well-developed sense of task orientation who takes duties and responsibilities seriously”
• John “You are dynamic and entrepreneurial: a developer of new ideas”
• Sarah “Your contribution is likely to be central to the work of the organisation and you should aim to sustain that. As a productive worker, you are indispensable.”
• Martin “Your overall style is that of a constructive team player. The team will work better when you are present and not so well when you are absent”

Some final words from Lead Facilitator Vicky:

“We had a Dynamo, a Hidden Talent and quite a few Refiners.. the ideal blend for a team focused on making sure our customers have a fun, productive and quality time….” 

For more information on the above or any related area of interest in organisation development and learning & development in Edinburgh, Scotland and across the UK please contact Sandy Smith on 0845 901 1422 and sandy@maximillion.co.uk

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