Activity 1

You have the unique opportunity to form 2 management teams. Before you proceed to doing this task study the chart "Useful people to have in teams". It is based on Dr Belbin's idea to identify the individual roles which are crucial to a successful team. His argument is that while individuals in a management group have their formal job titles - accountant, sales manager, etc. - they also perform a variety of "personality team roles": the ideas person, the organiser, the diplomat, and so on. Decide which of these personality type(s) you represent.

Split into 2 teams of six - some people may present more than one personality type. Elect a leader. Discuss the personality composition of your team. Summarise your collective strengths and weaknesses. Try to headhunt the personality type you lack from the other team. All this activities should be held in the Virtual Conference Centre.

Useful people to have in teams
Type Symbol Typical Features Positive Qualities Allowable Weaknesses
Company Worker CW Conservative, dutiful, predictable. Organizing ability, practical common sense, hard working, self-discipline. Lack of flexibility, unresponsiveness to unproven ideas.
Chairman CH Calm, self-confident, controlled. A capacity for treating and welcoming all potencial contributors on their merits and without prejudice. A strong sense of objectives. No more than ordinary in terms of intellect or creative ability.
Shaper SH Highly strung, outgoing, dynamic Drive and a readiness to chalange inertia, ineffectiveness, complacency or self-deception. Proneness to provocation, irritation and impatience.
Plant

PL

 Individualistic, serious-minded, unorthodox. Genius, imagination, intellect, knowledge. Up in the clouds, inclined to disregard practical details or protocol.
Resource Investigator

RI

 Extroverted, enthusiastic curious, communicative. A capacity for contacting people and exploring anything new. An ability to respond to chalange. Liable to lose interest onse the initial fascination has past.
Monitor-Evaluator

ME

 Sober, unemotional, prudent. Judgement, discretion, hard-headedness. Lacks inspiration or the ability to motivate others.
Team Worker

TW

 Socially-oriented, rather mild, sensitive. An ability to respond to people and to situations,and to promote team spirit. Indecisiveness at moments of crisis.
Completer-Finisher

CF

 Painstaking, orderly, conscientious, anxious. A capacity for follow -through. Perfectionism. A tendency to worry about small things. A reluctanse to let go.
Specialist

SP

 Single-minded, self-starting. Brings knowlege or scills in rare supply. Contributes only on narrow front.