When you are part of a group project, which role do you play? Do you start conversations, make sure everyone has a voice, take notes throughout group meetings? The roles assigned to each person are what make the team effective, or ineffective, at completing the tasks that they are given, and it is imperative that everyone feels comfortable and important in their role. Which role fits you the best?
Initiator: The Initiator is the leader of the team, the one who makes sure everyone is being heard and no one feels left out. The initiator is someone who feels comfortable taking the wheel and making decisions. They should be ready to come up with ideas, figure out the best way to make everyone’s input have an impact on the project as a whole.
Energizer: The Energizer is the upbeat and encouraging team member. They make an effort to keep everyone happy and ready to work, while still making sure the group stays on track. The most important part of the Energizer role is to praise other’s ideas. They encourage group members to share more often rather than knock down ideas. This is vital when tensions within the group as a whole are high.
Recorder: The Recorder takes notes and keeps records of each team meeting. Whether it’s a ten-minute check-in or a two-hour-long brainstorming session, the Recorder’s job is to make sure that any important information from that meeting is written down and made available to all other team members. This serves to not only remind people of what was covered in a meeting, but also to clear up any miscommunications if there are any misunderstandings.
Evaluator: The Evaluator takes the main ideas presented by the team and dives deeper into the concepts being suggested. They make sure that the team’s plan is realistic and can identify any issues that may arise with it. The Evaluator may also have to compare the team’s solution(s) to the parameters of the project, so that all requirements are being met and the solution works to solve the exact question being asked.
The role you play in your team may change depending on the project or your teammates, but if everyone knows their personalities and what they are comfortable with, each group member can get the most out of the project and the rest of the team.