Shapers are a dynamic, outgoing members of the team; they are often argumentative, provocative, and impatient.
These traits may mean that they cause friction with other, especially people-orientated, members of the group. Due to their personality, Shapers push the group towards agreement and decision making, keen to remove barriers and embrace challenges.
Implementers get things done – they have the ability of transforming discussions and ideas into practical activities.
Implementers are conscientious and want things to be done properly. They are very practical and organised in nature - hence their ability to get the job done. Implementers can be stuck in their ways, not always open to new ideas and ways of doing things. Implementers would rather stick to old, tried, and tested methods than embrace change and innovation.
Completers/Finishers are task-orientated members of the group and as their name implies: they like to complete tasks.
Completers/Finishers can be anxious people worried about deadlines and targets – they are perfectionists and have good attention to detail but also worry about delegating tasks. They would prefer to do something themselves, and know that it was done properly, rather than delegate the task to someone else.
Coordinators take on leadership or chairperson roles by clarifying goals and objectives, helping to allocate roles, responsibilities, and duties within the group. The Coordinator has excellent interpersonal skills, and is able to communicate effectively with team members through good listening, verbal, and nonverbal communication.
The Team Worker helps by giving support and encouragement to the other members of the team.
This team-oriented member is concerned about how others in the team are managing. Team Workers have sensitive, outgoing personalities and are happy to listen and act as the team counsellor.
Team Workers are usually popular members of the team, able to effectively negotiate and work towards the good of the group. Team Workers can, however, be indecisive in group decisions – torn between the welfare of members and the ability of the team to deliver.
The Resource Investigator is a strong communicator, good at negotiating with people outside the team and gathering external information and resources.
Resource Investigators are curious and sociable in their nature. They are open to new ideas and ways of accomplishing tasks. Since they are flexible, innovative and open to change, Resource Investigators are listened to by other team members. Sometimes, however, they are unrealistic in their optimism.
The Plant is an intellectual and individualistic member of the team.
The Plant is innovative and will suggest new and creative ways of problem solving within the team. Sometimes the ideas of the Plant may be impracticable due to her/his highly creative nature – Plants may ignore known constraints when developing their ideas. Plants are often introverts who may have poor communication skills; they are loners and enjoy working away from the rest of the group.
The Monitor Evaluator is unlikely to get aroused in group discussions. Monitor Evaluators tend to be clever and unemotional, often detached from other members of the team.
A Monitor Evaluator will critically evaluate and analyse the proposals, ideas, and contributions of others on the team. Monitor Evaluators carefully weigh up advantages and disadvantages along with the strengths and weaknesses of ideas and proposals. Therefore, they are usually good decision makers.
Monitor evaluators are keen critical thinkers.
The Specialist has expert knowledge in some area that is vital to the success of the group.
The Specialist provides knowledge and skills in this narrow area. Dwelling on practicalities in their expert area, the Specialist may have problems applying their expertise to the wider goals of the team. Specialists tend to be single-minded and professional.
The above roles can be divided into Task roles and Process roles:
Read the descriptions of each of the roles carefully and place each into the category to which you think it belongs.
Answer:
Task Roles: Shaper, Implementer, Completer-Finisher, Monitor-Evaluator, Plant, and Specialist.
Process Roles: Coordinator, Resource Investigator, and Team Worker.