Team Building: Role Fit 101

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The performance of organizations is heavily dependent on the productivity of their teams. Well oiled teams drive exceptional performance.

Yet, placing square pegs in round holes has the effect of placing square wheels on a racing car. Giving individuals roles for which they are not well suited detracts from the overall performance of the team.

Role Fit has been identified as perhaps the single most important factor driving the productivity of teams. High performance teams are those that have managed to sort out the vexed issue of determining how best to complete an assignment and getting the right persons to perform the right roles in the right environment.

Teams are immediately empowered to achieve higher levels of performance when they apply this framework for getting the role fit issue right:

1. Identify the right approach to completing the task. 2. Select the right people for the assignment. 3. Assign them to the right roles. 4. Create the right environment for them.

Right out of school I was assigned to work in a Government Audit Department. I was asked to perform the repetitive task of verifying the accuracy of accounting ledgers.

This activity drove me crazy. I managed to somehow escape from the fate of having to do that for an extended period.

The role fit approach simply recognizes that it takes more energy for us to perform some tasks than others. As we strive to achieve maximum effectiveness, the process is greatly facilitated by identifying who does what best and assigning roles accordingly.

Jane's story is replicated over and over in organizations.

The Role Fit approach to team building interventions tends to produce identifiable improvements more quickly than short term game-based action.

At the same time, the results are more sustainable.

Here is a quick insight into the framework that has dominated behaviour modification for decades.

Karl Jung put forward the theory that our response to life's events could be classified into 4 basic approaches or behavioural styles.

1. The D-style toolkit supports an outlook that sees the need for change and improvement. It equips us with decisiveness, a willingness to be direct in communication and a commitment to drive hard towards desired objectives.

The D-style style is best suited to operating in rapidly changing, highly competitive environments.

It is not heavily stocked with some of the niceties that underpin inter-personal relationships.

2. The I-style toolkit is geared to support a mindset that reflects the view that success is best achieved by working with and through people. The capacity to influence others and to respond appropriately to inducement is among the principal tools.

The I-style is relied on heavily when undertaking creative activities, innovation, out of the box thinking and high impact networking.

The I-style is not comfortable focusing on details. Short, interesting assignments work best with this style.

3. The S-style toolkit is favoured when we face environments that are more stable. There might be need for change but those are addressed on the basis on consensus.

Key tools include the capacity for listening, empathy, sincerity, respect for others, loyalty, team cohesiveness, dedication and self-denial.

There is a shortage of independent decision making tools and the willingness to challenge the status quo or established authority.

4. The C-style - Conscientiousness. Compliant, correct, creative.

The C-style wants things to run like clockwork. Perfection is the goal. Documentation, extensive analysis and attention to detail are readily available in this tool kit.

The C-style tool kit is poorly stocked with idle chatter and some of the fun and games that are integrated in traditional team building interventions.

Let's see how much of this has stuck with you?

1. If you wanted someone to conduct some life and death medical analyses for you what toolkit would you like them to rely on? D ? "I make my decisions right"? I-style challenged by a focus on details? As for me, I would love my technician to be wed to the C-style toolkit.

2. What if you wanted someone to take charge of entering a notoriously competitive market? What toolkits would you want to see in play? S? With a shortage of the willingness to challenge the status quo? I would want to see reliance on a blend of D and I style toolkits.

So from this little exercise you can see that different jobs and situations can best be achieved by relying on one or two of the toolkits. This has huge implications for the composition of teams and for the assignment of roles within work groups.

The key is to prepare a template of the style that would best perform given tasks with the help of sophisticated role analyses support tools.

A reliable behavioural assessment solution will help you to match the preferences of potential occupants of the position with a template of desired behaviours.

This will not only improve your selection process but will also facilitate the delivery of coaching to fill identified gaps.

In the future we will address: Project Management disasters attributed to poor team dynamics.

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