Be Brave... Ask for feedback!

The 2 minute video clip above summarises the main reasons why Observer Assessments matter!

Why Observers Matter

At work, your behaviour is what’s out there on the front line, shaping your interactions and experiences with everyone you encounter.

Belbin Team Roles are clusters of behaviour. Each role is made up of different characteristics which are commonly found together and constitute a meaningful contribution to a team.

How we think we behave is only half the story.

When it comes to your own personality, you can consider yourself the expert, right? But with behaviour, it’s a different story. It affects – and is shaped by – those around you. That’s why self-reporting – completing a Belbin questionnaire yourself –doesn’t give you all the key information. You need to ask others for their input.

It’s important to project a clear Team Role image.

That way, others can understand your strengths, how you prefer to work and the sort of tasks which might best suit your styles. Understanding how others see you can help you build and refine your Team Role image. That can influence the kind of work that comes your way… and ultimately how you perform.

But we might adapt our behaviour depending on who we’re with.

It’s not all about consistency. Perhaps you play the Co-ordinator with those you manage, or the Monitor Evaluator sounding board with your own manager. The ability to adapt your behaviour is important and useful, but only if you’re doing it effectively.

So Observer Assessments present a crucial learning opportunity.

Once you’ve completed your Belbin questionnaire (the Self-Perception Inventory), we suggest you ask at least four others who work closely with you (and have done so for at least six months) to complete a short assessment of the behaviours they see.

This gives you a wealth of information to unpack, allowing you to gauge how successfully your behavioural ‘strategy’ – whether deliberate or not! – is working for you.

Observer Assessments are fundamental to Belbin...

... because we believe that truly understanding behaviour –and acting upon that understanding– helps you work smarter and enjoy what you do.

So go on, be brave! Choose your observers and see what you discover…

Next steps

• Start learning and using the language of Belbin Team Roles.
• Understand more about Observer Assessments and why we provide them free of charge.
• Come to one of our 'How to...' Sessions, become Belbin Accredited or contact us and have a chat - we would love to help you.