Know Your Role — Embrace The Role

Elite teams are made up of talented individuals that perform as a cohesive unit at a very high level. A team can be comprised of talented people but to perform at an elite level there are necessary roles that members must fill. When one of these required roles is not filled or the wrong person assumes that role it can have a detrimental impact on the team’s cohesion and performance. This post will describe a set of predictable roles that members of high performing teams typically fill.

We can begin with two roles that are essential for most teams: the leader role and the role of a team player. Leaders set a clear team vision with a strategy. They motivate team members to perform their best in order to optimally execute their strategy. This role is also responsible for making both the team and team members better. As for being a team player, every member should, in some capacity, assume this role; including the leader. A team player values team cohesion and success over individual achievements. They can be diplomatic, will make compromises when they need to, and will follow-through on assigned tasks. For new team members, this will be the primary role that they must learn before they earn the right to fill other roles within the team.

While the leader and team player roles are vitally important for the success of most teams there are 9 other roles that members of an elite team may need to fill:

• Specialist: There is a saying, “the team is only as good as its weakest link.” This is especially true of teams that rely on a specialist to perform required tasks. These team members have a unique skill set that is essential for team performance in specific situations that call for their expertise. High performing teams have the proper mix of required specialist that are able to effectively and efficiently execute their tasks when they are needed.
• Creative: Creatives will look for new answers and can often make connections among seemingly unrelated concepts. These team members not only think outside the box, they question the box — where it came from, why it exists, and how it could be different. They see obstacles as exciting challenges that energize rather than discourage them. Leaders should leverage creatives when planning, designing, or troubleshooting a problem because they will deliver fresh ideas and solutions. They are really good at offering up new approaches to long-standing procedures rather than following the status quo. However, leaders should be aware that creatives can bog down a team. Sometimes their ideas are so novel that they can be impractical; this is especially true when leaders fail to give clear guidance or establish a set timeline. They can also be disruptive to teams that are focused on executing the plan. Leaders must know when to give Creatives the space to come up with novel ideas and when to cut them off to ensure the team is performing as a cohesive unit.
• Challenger: People in this role may not come up with novel ideas or solutions but they are really good at analyzing and evaluating them. These members will assess the reasonableness of a proposal to determine if it is realistic. They take an objective approach where they share the pros and cons of the different options. They will ask probing questions, request clarification, look for additional supporting information, and anticipate future problems. Like the Creatives, Challengers can be disruptive during team performance. There may be moments during a team’s performance to challenge the leader or the plan but this should be the exception and not the norm. Challengers on high performing teams are able to recognize when to challenge and when to focus on the task at hand.
• Enforcer: Enforcers are similar to Challengers but instead of challenging ideas they enforce a team’s culture and standards. They will provide candid feedback to the team about how it is functioning or performing. The Enforcer has no problem confronting the team when standards are not met, or having an honest “conversation” with an under-performer. They are also effective at regulating what is fair on the team. Leaders can leverage an Enforcer to hold the team to a set of high standards but it is very important that the “right” member of the team assumes this role. A team member that is not a good fit for this role can inappropriately enforce rules that create a dysfunctional team dynamic. As well, they can reinforce the wrong rules that compete against what the leader is trying to achieve.
• Coordinator: The coordinator facilitates communication across the team and ensures team members are working together effectively. They are typically outgoing-extroverted members that have the respect of their teammates. They are good at exploring available options and negotiating conflicting agendas between team members in order to accomplish the team objectives and tasks.
• Mediator: The mediator strives for harmony on the team where they prioritize team cohesion. This role seeks ways to reduce tension and diffuse a situation by providing further explanations or using humor. They will look to resolve conflict and find compromises. They are flexible, diplomatic, and perceptive. They are willing to yield position or meet others halfway.
• Motivator: The motivator could also be called the Energizer or the Encourager. They are usually dynamic, high-energy, optimistic people who love engaging with people and focusing the team’s energy on what needs to get done. They have high social intelligence that makes them confident in their ability to handle interpersonal interactions. They affirm, support, and praise the efforts of team members and encourage improvement.
• Initiator: The initiator naturally turns ideas into action. They help move the team from the planning stage towards execution of the objective. They are good at identifying what needs to get done, recognizing the value that each individual brings to the team, delegating tasks based on each team member’s strengths, and then getting out of the way.
• Finisher: The finisher is a team member that you can count on to get the job done. They naturally monitor their team’s progress and are not afraid to upset a teammate in order to keep them on track. Finishers are typically self-motivated, disciplined people who work systematically and efficiently. They are good at anticipating future problems and have thought through multiple courses of action to ensure the team’s objective is met on time.

Team Composition

Your team’s purpose and goals will determine the necessary roles that must be filled by its members. Oftentimes, one member of the team will fill multiple roles. For instance, the leader may also fill the role of motivator, initiator, and finisher. This does not mean that others cannot also assume some of these roles. As well, not all roles may be necessary. For example, a team that is responsible for executing an established plan may not need a Creative to be successful. What is important is to ensure that the necessary roles on your team are filled with the right teammate(s). Here are five questions to consider when evaluating the composition of your team.

What roles are required for our team to be successful?

Is someone on the team filling this role?

Is the right person on the team filling this role?

Who are we preparing to fill this role in the future?

Why this person and what are we doing to purposefully prepare them for it?