5 Roles on a Team NOT Determined by Your Job Title: Which Are You?

You may not be the designated team leader, but you can still offer leadership to your Spirit Box team. 

Below you’ll find some examples of the roles people can play when working with others. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it can provide insight into what it is that you bring to the table besides just your job title or specific title-related business responsibilities. 

Let us know the one you relate to most or which other roles could be added!

Clarifier: “What do you mean by that?”

The Clarifier is the person at the table who kindly asks questions—a lot of questions. They are very good listeners with the capability to hear what different people are saying and help them understand one another. They are the ones who help connect the dots between different perspectives and refine vague ideas into more actionable plans. This person ultimately is someone who respectfully helps the team leave the meeting on the same page. If they take notes for meetings, they may be very precise and also fill in different ways of thinking which were discussed. 

Watch Out:

• The Clarifier asks questions that can refine business plans and expedite processes, while also drawing out the thoughts of team members who may or may not always be the first to share. However, Clarifiers must remember that they can also state their own thoughts with confidence when the time comes. 

Summarizer: “Did you consider how this might help us with our goal for our second semester?”

The Summarizer sees the big picture in the midst of details. They listen to and observe what the team wants to do and how they are doing it. This person is especially important for teams that tend to get off track in meetings because the Summarizer helps to bring the conversation back into focus. They are good at understanding how all of the moving parts work together and how they work toward the team’s goals. If they take notes for meetings, the notes are prioritized and illuminate connections between agenda items.  

Watch Out: 

• The Summarizer is great at helping the team move toward a larger vision or goal and negotiating with different stakeholders. However, they can’t stay in the vision-realm forever. They need to be ready to contribute to the concrete details when the time comes. 

Starter: “Here’s what I think we should do.” 

The Starter is the person who is ready to turn ideas into action. They are the person who says, “Great idea. What are we going to do first to make it happen?” They are not afraid to take initiative, whether it is in getting the meeting started, moving the conversation from brainstorming to action-generating or volunteering to take the first assignment. They are okay with potentially making calculated mistakes for the good of the team because they are the first to try ideas. If they take notes, they may be bullet points of the most important action items. 

Watch Out:

• Starters help to activate the team to new ideas and ways of thinking. However, they must remember to listen to their team member’s ideas respectfully and to grow ideas purposefully to make them sustainable. 

Delegator: “I know who would like to do that task.”

The Delegator recognizes each team member’s unique contributions. They are aware of who is good at what and which people enjoy which types of tasks. They can align business objectives to their teammates’ strengths, delegating out the responsibilities themselves if they are the leader, or suggesting different people for different tasks if they are a team collaborator. They can help make work processes more efficient or effective, and thrive in doing not just great work, but building an amazing team. If they take notes, they may include updates about team members themselves with lists of tasks, who is completing them and why. 

Watch Out:

• Delegators are great at leveraging the strengths and passions of their team to get work done more effectively. However, they must remember to exercise their own strengths for the sake of the team and to be confident in what they also bring to the table. 

Historian: “Do you remember when…?”

Historians are the ones who remember past meetings and follow up with people accordingly. If a team decides on a certain course of action, the historian can raise the question of whether it was completed to help the team stay on track in the next meeting. They remember which ideas have already been tested and can help their teammates remember the moments demonstrating strength and the moments for improvement. They care about keeping track of the team’s progress and may be the first ones to point out a new growth milestone in the business. If they take notes, they may include the ideas presented, the context for how they relate to previous action, and the people around the school who may provide additional insight for navigating new ideas. 

Watch Out:

• Historians bring perspective and context to the work teams are doing, and can save teams time by preventing them from making recurring mistakes or reinventing the wheel when it has already been discussed. However, Historians must remember that sometimes the way things were done in the past doesn't always dictate how they are best done in the future. They should be open to embracing new ideas as they work with their teams. 

There you have it! If you identify with one of these roles on a team, be confident in what you bring to the table. And if another role is appealing to you but you don’t feel like it comes naturally, no problem. You can always grow in those new skills as you go! 

Which of these sounds most like you? Or would you describe your role as something else? Let us know!

Relates to: Hiring the right people