Task: Case "Creative ideas – not appreciated"

Erastus works as a Human Resource manager of a small start-up company. He loves coming up with new ideas and working with his HR team to set them in motion. However, he feels differently at board meetings when he is with his fellow managers. Often when he suggests new ideas for a process, his colleagues roll their eyes or change the topic. Sometimes he feels like his natural creativity here is not valued. A further source of frustration for him is that the team often loses itself in technicalities, rather than asking themselves the big questions, and embarking on new paths.

At a team-building workshop, his team undergoes the Belbin assessment tests, and he learns that he scores high on the "Plant" scale. He finds this interesting but is not sure how this helps him in finding a better way to deal with this team.

Please help Erastus here and answer the following questions in your learning journal:

1. Why does Erastus feel frustrated at the board meetings as a "plant"?
2. What should his team understand about him? What are the dangers for the whole team when Erastus cannot live out his team role?
3. What could the team leader do to ensure that she / he implements Erastus’ strengths in the team, and deal with the weaknesses he might have?