A520.6.5.RB Team Roles

This week, readers, we are discussing a topic that is near to my heart: Team membership.

Living the follower role is vital because learning how you like to be lead will give you insights as to how you want to conduct yourself when you become a leader. Luckily, a vast majority of the time we will have the opportunity to be team members, as compared to the opportunities to be the true leader.

The caveat, and this is a very important point, is that leadership can be practiced as a team member as much as when you are the designated leader. There are definite parts that can be played on the team.

Whetten & Cameron (2011) cited task-facilitating roles and relationship-building roles in our text.

Both of these roles are present on teams that perform well.

They also note that teams will generally be made up of people of both types, as it is difficult for people to slide between to two roles (2011).

The task-facilitators are those focused on the goals or outcomes the team is working toward. There are a number of roles that the task-facilitators can fill. They give directions, seek and give information, elaborate on themes or ideas, provide urging, monitor progress, analyze processes, act as a reality check, maintain focus, and provide summaries of progress as necessary.  If the task-facilitators were to wear jerseys, they would say “Team Efficiency and Effectivity”. A gifted task-facilitator will keep the group on focused without coming off as a task master.

Concurrently participating on high performing teams are members who are maintaining the relationships within the team and for the team with external parties. They look to support members, create harmony, relieve tension, confront those who may be lagging, provide energy, help develop members, build consensus, and empathize with members. (Whetten & Cameron, 2011) If relationship builders wore jerseys, they would be a blend of a Red Cross uniform, a psychiatrist’s coat, a cheerleader’s sweater, and a teacher’s blouse or shirt (with maybe a shiny apple). They keep the team going when the going gets tough, or boring. They look for weakness and figure out ways to imbue the team with the knowledge or tools they need.

In my day to day life, it depends on the team’s need as to what role I lean toward. The majority of the time, I believe I tend to be the relationship-builder. I enjoy maintaining energy levels, developing team members, and creating harmony. The position I hold at my company requires that I also be capable of task-facilitating, though. Being a father and occasional Captain on a flightdeck also requires the ability to float between the roles. It has taken years to gain a feel for when one part or the other is needed. Am I an expert at it? No. Life provides plenty of opportunities to learn the craft even better.

We are all team members of some kind in many areas of our lives. Being a contributing member is highly rewarding and requires concentration and effort. Keep learning about ways to contribute and when the time comes to lead, you will be far more prepared.

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (E. Svendsen Ed. 8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.