In a balanced team it is only the Plant and the Monitor-Evaluator who need a high IQ, but by contrast with the Plant, the Monitor-Evaluator is a bit of a cold fish. By temperament they are likely to be serious and not very exciting. Their contribution lies in measured and dispassionate analysis rather than creative ideas, and while they are unlikely to come up with an original proposal, they are the most likely to stop the team from committing itself to a misguided project.
Although this type of person is by nature a critic rather than a creator, they do not usually criticise just for the sake of it, but only if they can see a flaw in the plan of the argument. Curiously enough, this type of person is the least highly motivated of the team: enthusiasm and euphoria simply are not part of their make-up.
This however, has the compensating advantage that ego involvement does not cloud or distort the Monitor-Evaluator judgement. This type of person is slow to make up their mind, and likes to be given time to mull things over, but theirs is the most objective mind in the team.
One of this type of persons most valuable skills is in assimilating, interpreting and evaluating large volumes of complex written material, and analysing problems and assessing the judgements and contributions of the others. Sometimes this type of person can do this tactlessly and disaprovingly, which does not raise his popularity, and can lower the team's morale by being too much of a damper at the wrong time. Although they are unambitious and has low drive, they can be competitive, especially with those whose skills overlap with their own, which means in most cases either the Chairperson or the Plant.
It is important for the Monitor-Evaluator to be fair-minded and open to change: there is a danger that they will turn depressingly negative and allow his critical powers to outweigh this type of persons receptiveness to new ideas.
Although this type of person is solid and dependable, they lack jollity, warmth, imagination and spontaneity. Nevertheless he has one quality which makes them indispensible to the team, their judgement is hardly ever wrong.