Team Member Roles

Team Leaders need to allocate roles to team members in such a way that the roles are coordinated to achieve the team’s goals and that team members take responsibility for their individual roles. Allocating appropriate roles and coordinating these roles can lead to increased morale and motivation.

Allocating roles to Team Members: There are a number of factors that team leaders need to consider when allocating roles to ensure that the team is effectively meeting its goals. Team leaders need to ensure that team members:
• Understand their roles
• Understand the roles of their team mates
• Understand how the roles interrelate in the achievement of the team’s goals
• Have authority to coordinate acitivities with team mates.

Understand their roles: In order to be effective in their assigned roles, team members clearly need to understand their role and the expectations of the role. If the expectations are unclear then the team member may inadvertently underachieve thus jeopardising the successful achievement of the team goals.

Understand the roles of team mates: Understanding the roles of team mates helps ensure that team members concentrate on their own responsibilities and that their actions do not impinge on their team mates functions. Team members need to understand the challenges and basic functions of other roles so that they can support and complement their team mates.

Understand how the roles interrelate in the achievement of team goals: As team members take ownership of the team’s goals it is important that they understand how the different roles of each team member interrelates. Knowing that each role is contributing towards the achievement of team goals encourages team members to play their part and take responsibility for their work. Understanding how the team operates increases the sense of belonging to a team and belief that the whole team is moving in the same direction.

Have authority to coordinate activities with team mates: