The Belbin reports have played an integral part in helping people work together since 1988. To ensure that they continue to offer valuable and insightful advice in today’s workplace, Belbin Associates undertook a three year research project, completed in early 2012, which has culminated in the redesign of the inventories, calculations and reports.
By updating the inventories and calculations, the reports more accurately reflect Team Role strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, it also means that the comparison between how an individual sees their own behaviour, and how their work colleagues see their behaviour, is more transparent. This leads to greater self-awareness and more effective working relationships within teams.
A wide range of reports can be generated using the Belbin interplace system. Click below to learn more and view samples of the various reports.
Individual Profiles
To assemble a Team Roles profile, each individual is asked to first complete a Self Perception Inventory (approx. 10-15 minutes online) and then to collect Observer Assessments from others (approx. 5 minutes). Observer Assessments are Belbin’s method for obtaining 360-degree feedback – these Observations, combined with one’s own Self Perception, will provide the individual with a comprehensive report reflecting their Team Role preferences i.e. how they typically interact and contribute in teamwork situations and how this might translate to the workplace.
A Belbin Team Role report contains the following:
Team Role Overview
Your Team Role Preferences
Team Role Feedback
Maximizing your Potential
Feedback and Development Suggestions
Suggested Work Styles
Assessment Results in Ranked Order
Pie Chart of SPI versus Observer Data
Bar Graph of Observer Words
Most Higher Rated Observer Responses
![](https://www.leadershipsolutions.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/belbin_carousel-general.png)
![](https://www.leadershipsolutions.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/belbin-individual.png)
Team Reports
Finding out how individuals prefer to behave in the workplace is the first step. But very few of us work in isolation. It is when this knowledge is shared within a team, the real value of Belbin Team Roles to the organisation becomes apparent. By providing a common team language, Belbin enables individuals and teams to communicate and work together with greater understanding. This language can be used to bring a new team together or to make an existing team more motivated and effective.
A Team/Group report contains the following:
Overview of Team/Group Composition
Team Contributions (between 3-15 partcipants only)
Team Role Circle (between 3-15 partcipants only)
Individuals in the Team/Group
Strong Examples of Team Roles
Team Role Averages
Overall Observer Responses
Working Relationship Report
These reports highlight the Team Role differences between two individuals. Depending on their professional relationship (manager or colleague) the report highlights any potential strengths and weaknesses that should be taken in to account. It also suggests questions to ask to probe further.
A Working Relationship Report can be used to:
Identify key differences in the behaviour styles between two people
Form and support effective working partnerships
Provide guidance on how a working pair might best share their workload
Help managers understand how to effectively manage individuals in their teams
Address conflict issues within teams and work groups
Provide useful discussion starters within teams when each member has WR reports assembled for her/his other team colleagues
![](https://www.leadershipsolutions.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/belbin-organisation.png)
![](https://www.leadershipsolutions.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/belbin-education.png)
Job Reports
Too often we concentrate on the functional skills and abilities required for a job, rather than look at the type of behaviour that would suit. By completing the Job Requirements Exercise we can assess the job in terms of required Team Role Behaviour. This information can then be used in the creation of a job ‘advertisement’ or description.
A Job Report contains the following:
Job Specification – for the recruiter/manager
Job Expectations – for the applicant/jobholder
List of Behavioural Qualities
We can then use the Job Report (as above) to compare the Team Roles required for the job with a candidate’s Team Role composition to produce a Job Suitability report. This report comments on overall suitability for the position, looking at both required behaviours and those which are seen to detract from the job.