The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

Leaders,

In the competitive arena, teamwork can be the difference-maker and the advantage. When everyone in your team is rowing in the same direction your organisation can achieve dominance, irrespective of the size of the competition.

The 5 Dysfunctions of a team is a book by Patrick Lencioni. This book provides insights and corrective action to address the 5 common dysfunctions that plague a lot of teams and hinder them from achieving success.

It’s important to note that The 5 Dysfunctions are not 5 distinct issues. They form an interrelated model with each layer leading to the next level.

So what are the 5 Dysfunctions?

1) Absence of Trust - this is where each of the team members does not trust one another. There is an unwillingness to be vulnerable in the group and be open with each other on their mistakes and weaknesses.

2) Fear of Conflict - if people do not trust each other, then they’re not going to be comfortable engaging or disagreeing with their team members. The team needs to engage in unfiltered passionate debate about ideas that will help move the group forward.

3) Lack of Commitment - when people don’t unload or engage in healthy conflict to provide their input, they do not buy into the overall decision. There is a lack of commitment and follow-on execution of the next steps. People may agree in the meeting but may not follow through post-meeting.

4) Avoidance of Accountability - people end up not holding themselves or their people accountable because they didn’t commit to the original decision. People are not going to demand accountability for a plan they did not contribute to. Team members which avoid accountability create resentment amongst other team members with different standards of performance.

5) Inattention to Results - when there is a lack of accountability, poor results will rear their ugly head. There is a tendency of team members to care about things other than the collective results of the team.

So as you can see, by establishing a solid foundation of trust you create a safe and positive environment for conflict to occur. When people feel comfortable engaging in passionate debate, they release their thoughts and vision and feel heard. When people feel heard and understood they are much more likely to commit to the agreed next steps whether it was their idea or not. When the team is committed to the path forward and everyone is on the bus, there is a sense of accountability and ownership. With these four solid foundational layers, the team is setting itself up for great results.

A team focused on results avoids distractions, retains achievement-orientated employees, and enjoys great levels of success.

All the best

David

Resources Of The Week

• Book - 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. This book goes into the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams even the best ones-often struggle. Patrick outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.

• App - Blinkist. Do you ever read books and think there was a lot of fluff in there? Blinkist saves you hours with it’s premium book summary app which condenses hours of reading down into a 10-15 minute summary for you to read or listen to. Try this app to save you time and learn quicker.App - Asana. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. This app is a to-do list on steroids. Get organised and track your daily, weekly and monthly tasks. Best thing is it’s free.

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