Building
Better Teams
Overcoming
the 5
Dysfunctions
Adapted from: Lencioni, P (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
What is Dysfunction?
dysfunction
noun
\()dis-f(k)-shn\
The condition of having poor and unhealthy
behaviors and attitudes within a group of
people
[Link]
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
5
4
3
2
1
Inattention to Results
Without accountability, there are no results.
Avoidance of Accountability
Without commitment, there can be no accountability.
Lack of Commitment
Without conflict, there can be no commitment
Fear of Conflict
Without trust, there can be no conflict.
Absence of Trust
The Absence of Trust
[Link]
Teams with a lack of Trust
Conceal their weaknesses and
mistakes and manage their behaviors
for effect
Hesitate to provide feedback, ask
for or offer help outside their own
areas of responsibility
Jump to conclusions about others
without attempting to clarify them
Fail to recognize others skills and
experiences and hold grudges
Avoid meetings and spending time
together
Teams that Trust
Admit mistakes, recognize weaknesses, and
ask for help, and take risks
Appreciate and use one anothers skills and
experiences
Accept questions and input about their areas
of responsibility
Give one another the benefit of the doubt
Focus time and energy on important issues,
not politics
Offer and accept apologies without hesitation
Look forward to meetings and other
opportunities to work as a group [Link]
The Leaders Role in Building Trust
Tools
Personal Histories
Actions
Lead by example
Team Effectiveness Exercises
Protect the team by accepting
responsibility for teams
mistakes
Personality / Behavioral
Preference Profiles
Focus on long term success
360-degree feedback
Quickly resolve problems
Experimental Team Exercises
[Link]
The Fear of Conflict
[Link]
Teams with a Fear of Conflict
Have boring meetings
Create environments where
back-channel politics and
personal attacks thrive
Ignore controversial topics that
are critical to team success
Fail to tap into all opinions and
perspectives of team members
Waste time and energy on
posturing and interpersonal risk
management
[Link]
Teams that Embrace Conflict
Have lively, interesting meetings
Extract and exploit the ideas of
all team members
Solve real problems quickly
Minimize politics
Put critical options on the table
for discussion
[Link]
The Leaders Role in Embracing
Conflict
Tools
Disagreement Root Causing
Actions
Admit that it is ok to have
conflict around ideas
Courage and Confidence
Personality / Behavioral
Preference Profiles
Allow conflict resolution to occur
naturally as often as possible
During conflicts, remind team
that it is healthy and necessary
Protect team members from
harm, by maintaining focus on
ideas
Engage in healthy conflict, when
necessary, as an example
The Lack of Commitment
[Link]
Teams with a Lack of Commitment
Create ambiguity about
direction and priorities
Watch windows of opportunity
close due to excessive analysis
and second-guessing
Breed lack of confidence and
fear of failure
Revisit discussions and
decisions again and again
It is a lack of commitment,
not a lack of talent, that
damns you to mediocrity.
-Roy H. Williams
Committed Teams
Create clarity, direction, and
priorities
Align around common
objectives
Develop an ability to learn from
mistakes
Take advantage of opportunities
before competitors
Move forward without hesitation
Change direction without
hesitation or guilt
The Leaders Role in Generating
Commitment
Tools
Consistent Messaging
Contingency and Worst-Case
Scenario Analysis
Delegation in Low-Risk
Situations
Actions
Create certainty through
commitment to actions
Set clear deadlines
Push group for closure of issues
Adhere to accepted schedules
Visual management
[Link]
The Lack of Accountability
[Link]
Teams that Avoid Accountability
Create resentment among
team members who have high
standards of performance
Encourage mediocrity
Miss deadlines and key
deliverables
Place burden on leaders to be
the sole source of discipline
[Link]
Accountable Teams
Ensure that poor performers feel
pressure to improve
Identify potential problems
quickly by questioning
approaches without hesitation
Establish respect among team
members who are held to the
same high standards
Avoid excessive bureaucracy
around performance
management and corrective
action
[Link]
The Leaders Role in Generating
Accountability
Tools
Public goals and standards
Simple and regular progress reviews
Team-based recognition
Actions
Encourage and allow team to serve as
the first and primary accountability
mechanism
Serve as the ultimate arbiter of
discipline when the team fails
[Link]
Inattention to Results
[Link]
Teams without a Focus on Results
Stagnate and fail to grow
Rarely defeat competitors
Lose achievement oriented
employees
Encourage team members to
focus on their own careers and
individual goals
Are easily distracted
[Link]
Teams that Focus on Results
Retain achievement oriented
employees
Minimize individualistic
behavior
Enjoy success and suffer failure
acutely
Benefit from individuals who
subjugate their own
goals/interests for the good of
the team
Avoid distractions
The Leaders Role in Focusing on
Results
Tools
Public Declaration of Results
Actions
Set the tone for a focus on
results by focusing on results
Results-based Rewards
Must be selfless and objective
[Link]
Youve built a better team when...
team members trust each other enough
to engage in conflict over ideas
and hold each other accountable
for achieving collective results
Tools for Leaders
Personal History Exercise
[Link]
hip-tools-personal-histories-20150615
Team Effectiveness Exercises
Contingency/Worst-Case Scenario
Analysis
Delegation in Low-Risk Situations
Personality/Behavioral Profiles
[Link]
Consistent Messaging
[Link]
cation
[Link]
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Simple and regular progress reviews
[Link]
nPostId=220
Public goals, standards, and declaration
of results
[Link]
Disagreement Root Causing
[Link]
3 types of Leadership (lead the way)
Visual management
Team Exercises
[Link]
360-degree feedback
[Link]
[Link]
Team-based recognition
[Link]
edge-lens/stories/2011/[Link]
Joel Wenger
Consulting Manager, Financial Blogger
Trusted Advisor
[Link]
[Link]
