Roles Needed For A Successful Team

Leader- Motivating the team to complete its tasks

• Keep the team focused but at the same time, allowing them to make decisions
• Organize and lead the group, setting agendas and follow-up actions
• Including and encourage the participation of all team members
• Recognizing members' accomplishments

Facilitator- Keep everyone on track

• Ensure that the team make collective decisions
• Neutralize dominating people and encourage passive members to speak up
• Help members realize their potential
• Make suggestions, but never dominating or dictating
• Help team to progress

Team Recorder- The other name for a Secretary

• Write down the team's key points, ideas and decisions
• Record comments verbatim(word for word)
• Review the agenda for action items

Timekeeper- Keep track of time

• Monitor the duration of tasks
• Ensure that the team meets its deadlines
• Construct a Gantt chart to better organize time

Team member- the important components

• Show commitment and dedication
• Be honest and loyal to the team
• Respect each others' opinion
• Share the workload
• Have a say when making decision 

 I think each team must have one leader, and only one, because leaders are the captain of the ship, so having one would avoid confusions by ensuring that there are no clash in decisions when the team comes up with a consensus. Other roles such as timekeeper and team recorder should be rotated among team members because everyone should have a fair share of work. For example, as a timekeeper, it'd be unfair for he/she to keep track of time and also carry out the actual work task every single time.

Of course, you should only take up a role if you think that you are suitable for it. Or else, you'd be dragging the whole team down. For example, if I'm poor in organizing myself, then I shouldn't volunteer myself as a timekeeper because I know that I'll be unable to handle that role.

As on whether to allocate tasks to people or let them choose, I'm sitting on the fence on this. On one end, I think we should give people the choice to select what they want to do because only they will know the level of their capability and what they can manage with. But on the other hand, sometimes, people don't realize their strengths. So, occasionally, it might be better if we help them develop their potential by assigning them a specific role.