Task-Oriented Roles

Initiating/offering – offering new ideas

Information seeking – asking others for their views

Opinion seeking – asking others for their opinions, judgments

Elaborating – clarifying, expanding on the topic

Evaluating – offering judgments about the topic

Coordinating – pulling together ideas proposed by others

Energizing – creating excitement about the topic being discussed

Relationship-Oriented Roles

Encouraging – supporting others’ comments, contributions

Harmonizing – smoothing over conflict, reinforcing “we-ness” of the group

Compromising – shifting one’s own position in order to find a middle ground of opinion between people

Gatekeeping – encouraging participation from those who do not speak often, discouraging participation from those who speak frequently

Standard setting – asking for or offering standards for judging the team’s effectiveness

Self-Oriented Roles

Blocking – act negatively, active and frequent disagreement with others

Recognition seeker – draw the group’s attention to themselves, seek approval from others

Dominator – speak frequently dominate the conversation, manipulate the group toward their preferred outcome

Avoider – remain quiet and disengaged, withhold contributions on either task or relationship issues