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

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysfunction

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

http://www.shellierushingtomlinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lucycharliefootball.gif

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 http://www.integrity-apps.com/stronger/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fun-workplace.jpg

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

http://www.jillkonrath.com/Portals/110248/images/blogs/3-sales-strategies-to-build-trust-09-20-2011.jpg

The Fear of Conflict

http://englishrussia.com/images/fight_in_verkhovna_rada/1.jpg

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
http://loopofconfidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Head-in-Sand-Afraid.jpg

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

http://www.rashanasoundessences.com/images/conflict_resolution_and_management.jpg

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

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKjF0tTCKiU/UmDC9PZhclI/AAAAAAAABm0/fsKdsF8jL3U/s1600/the_commitment.jpg

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

http://empowermarketinginsights.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/commitment.jpg

The Lack of Accountability

http://julettemillien.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/accountability-joke.jpg

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

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbqtrQRzW10/T--rLbmzi5I/AAAAAAAAGLA/nlis2znipxU/s1600/ID-10046198.jpg

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
http://api.ning.com/files/D7OtuoxqP97ZvxJ06cDMOkt74wkL9fUd8pQPPBnzu0BE4fPEjfX5T*eGWUrz-tt4MDtM*F5HLG6Vt3cN63wwQ*h8dWZQO2XT/leadershipandaccountability.jpg

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
http://www.elliottcaras.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tshirt1.jpg

Inattention to Results

http://cdn.arkarthick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/productivity-at-work-tips-social-media-distractions.jpg

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

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYHOG6z8n_wWdxW1_2LXBdWNz2-st00c81xtOaQpM1gQpOSBAN7w

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

http://www.flightschooltosuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/focus_results.jpg

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

http://www.slideshare.net/JoelWenger1/leaders
hip-tools-personal-histories-20150615

Team Effectiveness Exercises

Contingency/Worst-Case Scenario
Analysis

Delegation in Low-Risk Situations

Personality/Behavioral Profiles

http://www.isixsigma.com/toolstemplates/cause-effect/final-solution-rootcause-analysis-template/

Consistent Messaging

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_communi
cation

http://www.informationmanagement.com/issues/20051101/1040487
-1.html

Simple and regular progress reviews

http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?Lea
nPostId=220

Public goals, standards, and declaration

of results

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropes_course

Disagreement Root Causing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360degree_feedback

3 types of Leadership (lead the way)

Visual management

Team Exercises

http://www.enneagramworldwide.com/

360-degree feedback

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario_planning

http://www.effectivemeetings.com/

Team-based recognition

http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/msloc/knowl
edge-lens/stories/2011/team-basedrewards.html

Joel Wenger
Consulting Manager, Financial Blogger
Trusted Advisor

http://www.twitter.com/joelwenger
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jwenger/