4 types of team members

Through years of evolution, humans have understood that most tasks are easier when done in a team. Being part of a team is a recurring part of life. Every team has 4 roles, read ahead to understand what’s yours and what are of others.

Team Roles

If there are 4 people in a boat and they are heading towards an island while working as a team. These are the roles of 4 people.

1. Leader — The Guy with the compass

A leader is someone who gives direction to the workforce, through his action and vision.

2. Manager — The person allocating food and water supplies

A manager makes sure that the resources and the timelines are allocated such that the team can work effectively and efficiently.

3. Worker — The person rowing the Boat

A worker is a person who is doing a major part of the “hard” work. The worker uses the leader's direction and the resources allocated to him by the Manager to complete the assigned tasks.

4. Free-loader — The person enjoying the view

This is a person who understands the vision of the leader and the allocations of the Manager and chooses not to put in the hard work. Free-loader only waits for the gains from the goal.

None of the 4 roles is above the other. The team can’t succeed without the first three and will always have freeloaders.

Single Person Team

Even when you are working alone, you can identify 4 parts to your approach. You are a leader at one time and a free-loader at the other. Identify your phases to achieve the objective of this one-person team.

Action

Understand the different roles you are playing in different teams and try to do justice to each of the roles. It is also possible that currently, you are playing more than one role within a team. Try to delegate your work to someone else. To get a unique role for yourself.