Working Together: Building Stronger Teams Through Coaching and Theory
- truthaboutlocalgov
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
In the ever-evolving landscape of local government, the ability to lead, manage, and coach teams effectively is more critical than ever. Officers are not only tasked with delivering services but also with nurturing talent, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation. To do this well, understanding how teams function and how individuals contribute is essential.
This blog explores three influential theories—Meredith Belbin’s Team Roles, Bruce Tuckman’s Team Development Model, and Ichak Adizes’ Team Management Styles—and how they can be applied by local government officers who manage people and aspire to grow as coaches.
Meredith Belbin: Understanding Team Roles
Dr Meredith Belbin’s research into team dynamics led to the identification of nine distinct team roles, each representing a pattern of behaviour that individuals exhibit when working in teams. These roles are:
Plant – Creative innovator, good at solving complex problems.
Resource Investigator – Explores opportunities and develops contacts.
Co-ordinator – Clarifies goals, delegates effectively.
Shaper – Drives the team forward, thrives on pressure.
Monitor Evaluator – Offers logical analysis and impartial judgement.
Teamworker – Helps the team to gel, supportive and diplomatic.
Implementer – Turns ideas into practical actions.
Completer Finisher – Ensures thorough, timely completion of tasks.
Specialist – Brings in-depth knowledge in a key area.
Belbin famously said, “Nobody is perfect, but a team can be.” This encapsulates the essence of his theory: effective teams are made up of a balance of complementary roles.
Application in Local Government Coaching
For a local government officer, understanding Belbin’s roles can be transformative. When coaching team members, recognising their natural roles allows for better delegation, improved communication, and enhanced morale. For example, a “Plant” may need space to innovate, while a “Completer Finisher” might require clear deadlines and structure.
As a coach, you can help individuals identify their preferred roles and explore how they can flex into others when needed. This not only builds resilience but also fosters a culture of mutual respect and collaboration.
Bruce Tuckman: The Team Development Model
Bruce Tuckman’s model, first proposed in 1965, outlines the stages of team development as:
Forming – Team members are polite, roles are unclear.
Storming – Conflicts arise as personalities clash and power struggles emerge.
Norming – The team begins to establish norms and cohesion.
Performing – The team operates efficiently towards shared goals.
Adjourning (added later) – The team disbands after achieving its objectives.
Tuckman’s model is widely used because it reflects the natural progression of team dynamics. As he noted,
“A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take.”
Application in Local Government Coaching
Understanding where a team is in Tuckman’s model helps a manager-coach tailor their approach. For instance:
During Forming, provide clarity and structure.
In Storming, facilitate open dialogue and conflict resolution.
At the Norming stage, reinforce shared values and team norms.
In Performing, step back and empower the team.
When Adjourning, celebrate achievements and support transitions.
Coaching through these stages involves active listening, asking powerful questions, and helping individuals reflect on their contributions and growth. It also means being patient—teams don’t become high-performing overnight.
Ichak Adizes: Team Management Styles
Ichak Adizes developed a model based on four key management roles, each representing a different personality style:
Producer (P) – Focuses on delivering results and getting things done.
Administrator (A) – Emphasises structure, systems, and processes.
Entrepreneur (E) – Drives innovation and change.
Integrator (I) – Builds cohesion and long-term relationships.
Adizes argued that no single person can excel in all four roles simultaneously. Effective leadership, therefore, requires a complementary team where different styles are represented and valued.
He wrote,
“The key to success is not in having all the answers yourself, but in building a team that collectively does.”
Application in Local Government Coaching
For a local government officer, Adizes’ model is a powerful lens for understanding both self and others. A coach can help team members identify their dominant style and explore how it affects their interactions and decision-making.
For example:
A Producer may need coaching on delegation and work-life balance.
An Administrator might benefit from encouragement to embrace flexibility.
An Entrepreneur could be supported in managing risk and follow-through.
An Integrator may need help asserting themselves in high-pressure situations.
By fostering awareness of these styles, a coach can help build balanced teams where strengths are maximised and blind spots are mitigated.
Bringing It All Together: Coaching in Practice
When applied together, these three models offer a rich toolkit for any local government officer seeking to develop as a coach:
Belbin helps you understand individual contributions and team composition.
Tuckman guides you through the lifecycle of team development.
Adizes reveals the underlying management styles that shape behaviour.
Imagine a scenario where a newly formed project team is struggling. Using Tuckman, you identify they are in the Storming phase. Belbin’s model shows a lack of “Co-ordinator” and “Teamworker” roles, while Adizes reveals a dominance of “Producers” with little “Integrator” presence. As a coach, you can facilitate conversations to address these gaps, encourage role flexibility, and support the team’s progression to high performance.
Final Thoughts
Coaching is not about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions, creating space for reflection, and empowering others to grow. By integrating the insights of Belbin, Tuckman, and Adizes, local government officers can become more effective leaders and coaches, capable of building resilient, high-performing teams.
As Meredith Belbin wisely put it,
“What is needed is not well-balanced individuals, but individuals who balance well with each other.”
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