What Role Do You Play on Your Team?

At one time or another in our professional lives, we all have been in different roles & positions. Each one brings different perspectives and responsibilities. I know that personally in the moment I didn’t always realize the impact of others while in that role. It can be helpful to reflect on how those roles have helped your present (or possible future!) position.

In his article “The Roles Every Team Needs to Be Effective”, Bruce Eckfeldt identified four key roles: The Mover, The Supporter, The Opposer, and The Observer. After thinking about my work experiences, I have for certain at one time stepped into the shoes of each one of these positions. There is not a rule that says you have to be locked in to one role and that is it. Sometimes you must be nimble and depending on the meeting or project, you need to adjust what role you will play at that time. I’d like to explore each role and how it impacted myself, and how those experiences can help you/your team!

The Mover

I think that many feel they could be, or currently associate with this role. The person is the one driving the meeting, the brain-storming session, exploring new initiatives for the team, etc. How do you keep the conversation going when there are lulls or dead ends? I’ve been in situations where I lead my team, and other times when I was the Mover for a project with a client. In both situations you are driving the items and end-goals, but one needs to be mindful of the audience and the communication differences needed.

Remember that this does not mean that everything needs to be large scale. It can be small concepts to get others thinking or involved. This role is not limited to high-level executives either, it can encompass those from different levels of the organization. The key concept to consider is, how do I (or that person) keep the ideas flowing to the team or stakeholders?

The Supporter

This role needs to be the cheerleader to the Mover’s platform if you will. When the Mover presents an idea/concept/initiative, they need someone to help get momentum behind it. Without this person giving their support and showing others the positive outcomes, the Mover will likely fail in their mission. This person communicates to others how & why they can help move forward whatever the Mover is trying to gain.

At a former company, I directly supported one of the Directors. I considered myself his “Hype-Man” (think Flavor-Flav to Chuck D from Public Enemy!) when there were new company initiatives or projects. After the initial outlining of the idea or project, then it was my turn to act as the Supporter to my team and the other stakeholders, and make sure everyone was on board. When I ran into walls, then I might shift slightly into the Mover role to keep those ideas moving forward.

The Opposer

Just as the Supporter was riding shotgun with the Mover in a situation, you need someone give that other perspective to ensure all sides have a voice. I know what you might be thinking…”I LOVE to argue my point of view! This role is for me!”. As Lee Corso famously says, not so fast my friend! Where people can succeed in this situation is finding how to tailor your voice & narrative that frames the other side of an idea in such a way that does not come off as attacking the original point of view. Make sure that both sides are considered when a new concept is brought up so that all those affected/stakeholders have a voice.

It took me a while to fully grasp how to correctly operate in this role. I would come off as argumentative and my thoughts were not always as strong as they could be. Luckily I had a great mentor who pulled me aside and discussed with me how I came across to others in those situations. The importance of presenting the opposing side with SUFFICIENT evidence in a non-argumentative way is your key to success. Too many people will avoid this role because they don’t have the self-awareness to frame their discussion in the correct way. Once you can do so, this perspective can be an asset to the team.

The Observer

Last but not least, an Observer role could be the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the group. This person keeps that high-altitude view of what is going on and much like the Opposer, ensures the group is considering all sides. They also might assist the Mover is guiding things in the right direction but at the same time not over-stepping the boundary of observing the process. They are not jumping in to fix or course-correct but drop hints as to what they might try next. They help ensure the initiative/project stays within the guardrails of what the end-goal is.

This doesn’t have to be filled by an older member of the company/team. It could be a younger person that gives a point of view different than a more experienced (and perhaps non-jaded) person might give. Just having someone to be a sounding board that can give anecdotal feedback is key. I remember during some management meetings when I was in this position. I wasn’t directly involved in the project but had enough stake in the outcome that I could provide some ideas and feedback that perhaps wouldn’t have been considered otherwise. The level of involvement will vary from project to project, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of having this role fulfilled.

I firmly believe and have seen firsthand how teams can be successful (and struggle!) when these roles are/are not used. As I have shown, one does not have to lock themselves into one position. Just as many of us move to different jobs at our company or switch careers, there have been times when I have stepped into each of these roles. I might not have been successful at first with each one but having the self-awareness of what each role serves is key to serving the end goal of the project.