The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

by Patrick Lencioni

I finished reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, and it was a book I really enjoyed. The book is actually written as a story of a new CEO of a company with a dysfunctional team, and as such very nice to read. It's also not too long and gets right down to the point, aided by the fact that it is (as its a story) filled with good examples. The theory is easy to understand and yet very powerful. I included the general concept right here:

Now, the middle of the pyramid holds the general dysfunctions and they really build on each other. The right side describes more or less the problem that is often present at this stage. Often team members don't want to be vulnerable and hence aren't fully open about their mistakes. In absence of this, no real trust can be built up. Without trust you will not be able to go into real conflict which is needed though. An artificial harmony might be in the team where there is no real conflict, as conflict is not always harmonic but it needs to be there for the next stage to work. You will either have ambiguity in your decisions or real commitment, which will only be reached if the conflict has been handled well and thoroughly. Then you also commit to high standards and will be able to be accountable to those and challenged by your teammates. Then you can also achieve your results, provided you put the team first, yourself second. All this is brought out in great detail in the book and yes, it sounds simple and it probably is, if you really confront this brutally. Of course, there are a million nuances and not everybody fits in there. But it's a very good starting point to build a team.

The 5 Dysfunctions of a team

To put this model in a more positive frame, a successful TEAM must:
1. 2. 3. 4.
5.

Trust and know one another, being vulnerable and honest, and ask for help when you need it. Engage in unfiltered sharing about ideas, and conflict Commit to decisions and plans of actions together Hold one another accountable for delivery those plans Focus on collective and team results, not those of individuals.

Overcoming dysfunctions1. TRUST AND VALUE YOUR TEAMMATES Take time to share experiences and build a bond of togetherness. a. Share personal history, family, challenges, hobbies and strengths and weaknesses. b. See each other as human beings, and be known as individuals. c. Ask people to share others strengths and weaknesses, to begin vulnerability. 2. EMBRACE CONFLICT Conflict is considered taboo in most environments- especially church. We need to distinguish between disagreements and malicious, corrosive fighting. Loyalty is not about agreement without discussion. Talking behind the scenes, or gossiping, is worse than any open debate and discussion- and we MUST be honest and clear and air-out our positions and ideas.. a. Coach one another not to retreat from debate, and when people become uncomfortable, remind each other its okay to address unhealthy behaviors; reassure its not personal but necessary to grow closer as a TEAM b. The leader needs to avoid protecting people from harm too much, and must allow others and facilitate the conflict process, and allow non resolution so people can learn skills they need to deal with it c. The leader needs to model it and make sure they do not avoid conflict, but initiate it! 3. COMMIT TO OUR CRUSADE A good teammate will buy into a decision after processing feelings, even if they dont agree with it. The desire for total consensus and certainty is a poison. People do not need have their way for buy in, they just need to be heard. Decisions can be made without certainty, and many teams that wait until they have enough data get paralyzed. a. At end of meeting review decisions made and what needs to be communicated to others outside the team. b. Make timing clear for when things need to be done, and avoid ambiguity. c. Set up contingency plans, and make clear what is confidential or just between us d. The leader must be able to be comfortable with making decisions without certainty and that they may be wrong, and moving the group to do just that. Risk is necessary for any reward. 4. HOLD YOURSELF AND OTHERS ACCOUNTABLE The team must hold each other accountable, a buzz-word that has lost most of its meaning. The ability to call peers on behavior that is undermining to the team, and the mature choice of not avoiding difficult conversations and entering into uncomfortable moments with each other is important. Holding each other accountable is actually respect for each other! There needs to be a fear of letting down team mates by not addressing needed improvement- not a fear of conflict! a. Clarify publicly what the TEAM goals are, and who is responsible for what, so people cant ignore them. b. Regularly review of goals, and what people committed to do, and talk about how they see each other doing. c. Leaders must encourage the team to be the primary place for accountability and not do it individually. d. The leader must be the ultimate arbiter when a team fails to achieve a result and step in when necessary. 5. PUT TEAM SUCCESS AHEAD OF INDIVIDUAL STATUS Ultimate dysfunction is for players to care more about their individual goals than those of the team. The group must have goals for the team benefit, and own them as team, rather than being a group of selfish individuals. a. Make results clear, and celebrate TEAM results b. Make no guarantees that goals will be achieved, but set them as things we expect to achieve. c. Team leaders must be selfless and reward people for working on group goals.