Team Roles: Who Does What

This describes the specific functioning of each team role. Let us know if this is helpful and what we missed!

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Executive Sponsor

1. Defines the team's Charter approved by a Strategy Council which controls/supports cross-functional teams.
2. Recruits the team's Coordinator.
3. Recommends potential members for the team.
4. Requests budget of time from managers of potential team members.
5. Decides who should be invited to the initial/kick-off meeting.
6. Introduces team members to each other.
7. Explains to the team the need for their contributions and how their work fits within the organization as a whole.
8. Reports the progress of the team to a Strategy Council.
9. Resolves conflicts the team has with other groups.
10. Clarify whether different people carry different "weight" in discussions and decisions.

1. Decide who should be invited to subsequent meetings.
2. Request specific meetings which Sponsor should attend or not attend.

Coordinator
/Chairperson
/Leader

1. Recruits members to join the team.
2. Greets team members as they arrive.
3. Calls the meeting to order at the appointed start time.
4. During the meeting, controls the order of events.
5. Proposes Agenda topics and how much time should be devoted to each topic.
6. Concludes the meeting at the appointed ending time.
7. Clarifies the method for making decisions (consensus, voice vote, anonymous ballots, etc.) before discussions begin.
8. Creates and maintains team Project Plans (e.g., Gantt or flow charts).
9. Anticipates, seeks, and reserves support services needed by the team.
10. Arranges for refreshments food, travel, lodging, etc. for team members.

1. Agree on how much time to spend on each topic.

Facilitator

1. Interrupts the meeting to remind the group about a process concern.
2. Evaluates norms and methods used during the meeting.
3. Between meetings, coaches individual team members.
4. Mediates conflict among individuals within the group.
5. Collects and summarizes anonymous questionaires and ballots.

1. Agree on specific meetings which Facilitator should attend or not attend.

Team Members

1. Notify Coordinator about not being able to attend a meeting.
2. Bring individual calendars/schedules, distributions received, and personal notes to the meeting.
3. Bring name tags or name tents when appropriate.
4. Arrive at meetings prior to the start time.
5. Help in room setup when needed.
6. Turn electronics (beepers, phones, etc.) off tone mode during meetings.
7. Greet other members of the team.
8. Write questions and comments down to participate when appropriate.
9. Clarify concerns before identifying solution options.
10. Focus on creatively addressing interests rather than selling specific options/positions.
11. Clean up the room (align chairs, discard trash, etc.) before leaving.
12. Respect requests for confidentiality.
13. Complete assignments between meetings.
14. Brief members who are absent.

1. Define what precautions are needed to maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality.
2. Define rules for members to follow.

Timekeeper

1. Brings a timer to meetings.
2. Ensures that clocks in the meeting room are calibrated to a common standard.
3. Before the meeting starts, announces "x minutes before the meeting".
4. Says "the meeting has started" at the appointed start of the meeting.
5. If the meeting has not started, says "the meeting started x minutes ago" every 5 minutes.
6. Communicates to presenters how much time is remaining (e.g., 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds).
7. Interrupts group with a "Point of Order" to announce end of time.

1. Stop presentation to "Call the Question" -- take a vote whether to continue.

Scribe

1. Brings large format papers and dry-erase pens to meetings.
2. Puts title and date on each sheet of paper produced by the team.
3. Legibly writes what the group verbalizes onto flip-chart paper or white-board.
4. Posts flip-chart paper or white-board.
5. Ensures that charts match Notes taken by Notetaker.
6. Gives charts to Notetaker.

1. Agree on whether items should be written down or not.

   The term Minutes of a meeting orginates from the Latin minutus, meaning “small”, because they are meant to be short and quick.

Notetaker

1. Brings blank note paper and writing instruments to meetings.
2. Takes legible notes during team meetings.
3. If necessary, types up notes.

1. Agree on whether notes need to be typed up.
2. Review notes for mistakes/omissions.
3. Agree on whether specific entries should be in or out of the notes.

Librarian

1. Brings team's Archive Binder(s) to meetings (or arranges someone else to bring it/them).
2. Looks up and reads information from archives during team meetings.

Publisher

1. Sends invitations to those invited to the meeting.
2. Makes copies for team before, during, and after meetings.
3. Maintains the team's Distribution List .
4. Procures/Provides binders and binds papers as needed.
5. Provides copies of the team's Distribution List .
6. Ensures that recipients actually received publications.
7. Brings enough extra copies to team meetings.

1. Agree on who should be invited to the meeting.
2. Agree on who is on the team's Distribution List .
3. Approve who receives the team's Distribution List .
4. Agree on binding and distribution methods and styles.

Technician
/Facilities
  Manager

1. Brings extra bulbs and other supplies to the meeting.
2. Makes sure equipment operates properly x minutes before the start of the meeting.
3. Monitors environmental conditions (heat, etc.).
4. Adjusts thermostats as needed or as anticipated.

1. Agree on what the desired environmental conditions.

Presenter(s)

1. Bring presentation materials (overhead foils, flip charts, etc.)
2. Make sure equipment operates properly x minutes before the start of the meeting.
3. If new, provide Coordinator with a statement of introduction.
4. Request adjustments to lighting, sound levels, etc.
5. Organize information logically -- in chunks.
6. Make transitions of topic logically easy to follow.
7. Define what important/specialized words mean.
8. Provide concrete examples
9. Explain why -- reasons for statements and questions.
10. Provide written back-up to verbally presented information.

1. Approve the objectives of the presentation.
2. Ask questions only when appropriate.
3. Provide feedback to Presenter(s).