The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Patrick Lencioni
©2002 Jossey-Bass
*** 3 Stars - Good Book ***
Written in 2002, the book not only outlines the five dysfunctions of teams, but also includes a
model with actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a
cohesive and effective team. The first part of the of the book is written in fictional format,
demonstrating through a storyline the five dysfunctions of teams, along with how the main
characters are impacted. I found this book to be a good refresher or reminder of the
important characteristics of teams, and I also found the various team-building exercises useful
and appropriate.
Quotes
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - A Model
Status and Ego
Inattention to
RESULTS
Avoidance of
ACCOUNTABILITY
Lack of
COMMITMENT
Low Standards
Ambiguity
Fear of
CONFLICT
Absence of
TRUST
Truly cohesive teams...
1. Trust one another
2. Engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas
3. Commit to decisions and plans of action
4. Hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans
5. Focus on the achievement of collective results
Artificial Harmony
Invulnerability
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Overview
The Role of the Leader…
Focus on Collective Outcomes
Inattention to
Results
Confront Difficult Issues
Avoidance of
Accountability
Lack of
Force Clarity and Closure
Fear of
Demand Debate
Commitment
Conflict
Absence of
Be Vulnerable
Trust
#1: Absence of Trust
The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of
trust within the team.
#2: Fear of Conflict
The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive,
ideological conflict.
#3: Lack of Commitment
The lack of clarity and/or the fear of being wrong prevents team members
from making decisions in a timely and definitive way.
#4: Avoidance of Accountability
The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from
holding one another accountable for their behaviors.
#5: Inattention to Results
The desire for individual credit erodes the focus on collective success.
1
© The Table Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Team Assessment
Instructions: Use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies to
your team. Be sure to evaluate the statements honestly and without over
thinking your answers.
3 = Usually
2 = Sometimes
1 = Rarely
____ 1.
Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of issues.
____ 2.
Team members call out one another’s deficiencies or unproductive behaviors.
____ 3.
Team members know what their peers are working on and how they contribute
to the collective good of the team.
____ 4.
Team members quickly and genuinely apologize to one another when they say or
do something inappropriate or possibly damaging to the team.
____ 5. Team members willingly make sacrifices (such as budget, turf, head count) in
their departments or areas of expertise for the good of the team.
____ 6.
Team members openly admit their weaknesses and mistakes.
____ 7.
Team meetings are compelling and not boring.
____ 8.
Team members leave meetings confident that their peers are completely committed
to the decisions agreed upon during the meeting, even if there was initial
disagreement.
____ 9.
Morale is significantly affected by the failure to achieve team goals.
____ 10. During team meetings, the most important and most difficult issues are put on
the table to be resolved.
____ 11. Team members are deeply concerned about the prospect of letting down their
peers.
____ 12. Team members know about one another’s personal lives and are comfortable
discussing them.
____ 13. Team members end discussions with clear and specific resolutions and calls to
action.
____ 14. Team members challenge one another about their plans and approaches.
____ 15. Team members are slow to seek credit for their own contributions but quick to
point out those of others.
2
© The Table Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Team Assessment
Scoring
Combine your scores for the 15 statements as indicated below.
Dysfunction 1:
Absence of
Dysfunction 2:
Fear of
Dysfunction 3:
Lack of
Dysfunction 4:
Avoidance of
Dysfunction 5:
Inattention to
Trust
Conflict
Commitment
Accountability
Results
Statement 4___
Statement 1____
Statement 3____
Statement 2___
Statement 5____
Statement 6___
Statement 7____
Statement 8____
Statement 11___
Statement 9____
Statement 12___
Statement 10___
Statement 13___
Statement 14___
Statement 15___
Total:
Total:
Total:
Total:
Total:
A score of 8 or 9 is a probable indication that the Dysfunction is not a problem for your team.
A score of 6 or 7 indicates that the Dysfunction could be a problem.
A score of 3-5 is an indication that the Dysfunction needs to be addressed.
* Visit our website at www.tablegroup.com to learn more about our on-line Team Assessment.
This Assessment provides a more rigorous analysis of a team’s unique strengths and
weaknesses, and specific recommendations for overcoming potential team dysfunction.
3
© The Table Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust
Trust lies at the heart of a functioning, cohesive team. Without it, teamwork is all but
impossible. (p.195)
In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their
peers’ intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the
group. In essence, teammates must get comfortable being vulnerable with one another. (p.
195)
The vulnerabilities I’m referring to include weaknesses, skill deficiencies, interpersonal
shortcomings, mistakes, and requests for help. (p.196)
Members of trusting teams...
• Admit weaknesses and mistakes
• Ask for help
• Accept questions and input about their areas of responsibility
• Give one another the benefit of the doubt before arriving at a negative conclusion
• Take risks in offering feedback and assistance
• Appreciate and tap into one another’s skills and experiences
• 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
The most important action that a leader must take to encourage the building of trust on a
team is to demonstrate vulnerability first. (p.201)
Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict
All great relationships, the ones that last over time, require productive conflict in order to grow.
(p.202)
...teams that engage in productive conflict know that the only purpose is to produce the best
possible solution in the shortest period of time. They discuss and resolve issues more quickly
and completely than others, and they emerge from heated debates with no residual feelings
or collateral damage, but with an eagerness and readiness to take on the next important
issue. (p.203)
Team that engage in conflict
• Have lively, interesting meetings
• Extract and exploit the ideas of all team members
• Solve real problems quickly
• Minimize politics
• Put critical topics on the table for discussion
...it is key that leaders demonstrate restraint when their people engage in conflict, and allow
resolution to occur naturally, as messy as it can sometime be. (p.206)
Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment
In the context of a team, commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in. Great
teams make clear and timely decisions and move forward with complete buy0in from every
member of the team, even those who voted against the decision. (p.207)
...reasonable human beings do not need to get their way in order to support a decision, but
only need to know that their opinions have been heard and considered. (p.207)
Great teams also pride themselves on being able to unite behind decisions and commit to
clear courses of action even when there is little assurance about whether the decision is
correct. (p.208)
In many cases, teams have all the information they need, but it resides within the hearts and
minds of the team itself and must be extracted through unfiltered debate. Only when
everyone has put their opinion and perspectives on the table can the team confidently commit
to a decision knowing that it has tapped into the collective wisdom of the entire group. (p.208)
A team that commits...
• Creates clarity around direction and priorities
• Aligns the entire team around common objectives
• Develops an ability to learn from mistakes
• Takes advantage of opportunities before competitors do
• Moves forward without hesitation
• Changes direction without hesitation or guilt
More than any other member of the team, the leader must be comfortable with the prospect of
making a decision that ultimately turns out to be wrong. (p.212)
Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability
Accountability....[is] the willingness of team members to call their peers on performance or
behaviours that might hurt the team. (p.212)
Members of great teams improve their relationships by holding one another accountable, thus
demonstrating that they respect each other and have high expectations for one another’s
performance. (p.213)
A team that holds one another accountable...
• Ensures that poor performers feel pressure to improve
• Identifies potential problems quickly by questioning one another’s approaches
without hesitation
• Establishes respect among team members who are held to the same standards
• Avoids excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective
action
Once a leader has created a culture of accountability on a team, however, he or she must be
willing to serve as the ultimate arbiter of discipline when the team itself fails. This should be a
rare occurrence. Nevertheless, it must be clear to all team members that accountability has
not been relegated to a consensus approach, but merely to a shared team responsibility, and
that the leader of the team will not hesitate to step in when it is necessary. (p.216)
Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results
An unrelenting focus on specific objectives and clearly defined outcomes is a requirement for
any team that judges itself on performance. (p.216)
A team that focuses on collective results...
• Retains achievement-oriented employees
• Minimizes individualistic behaviour
• Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely
• Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the
team
• Avoids distractions
Team leaders must be selfless and objective, and reserve rewards and recognition for those
who make real contributions to the achievement of group goals. (p.220)
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions
Dysfunction # 1: ABSENCE OF TRUST
Strategy for Overcoming:
• Identify and discuss individual strengths and weaknesses
• Spend considerable time in face-to-face meetings and working sessions
Dysfunction # 2: FEAR OF CONFLICT
Strategy for Overcoming:
• Acknowledge that conflict is required for productive meetings
• Establish common ground rules for engaging in conflict
• Understand individual team member’s natural conflict styles
Dysfunction # 3: LACK OF COMMITMENT
Strategy for Overcoming:
• Review commitments at the end of each meeting to ensure all team
members are aligned
• Adopt a “disagree and commit” mentality—make sure all team members
are committed regardless of initial disagreements
Dysfunction # 4: AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Strategy for Overcoming:
• Explicitly communicate goals and standards of behavior
• Regularly discuss performance versus goals and standards
Dysfunction # 5: INATTENTION TO RESULTS
Strategy for Overcoming:
• Keep the team focused on tangible group goals
• Reward individuals based on team goals and collective success
4
© The Table Group, Inc. All rights reserved.