The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
After reading Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, I’m convinced that his method could improve they dynamics of any group. From a young age, we’ve been conditioned to work in teams. From sports activities to band class, we’re accustomed to being partial contributors to a greater goal. As working professionals, we are subjected to ropes courses, retreats, and endless meetings, all in the name of strengthening the team. As Patrick Lencoloni points out, everyone seems to understand the importance of teamwork; yet for most organizations, the concept of genuine teamwork remains as elusive as it’s ever been. This book will likely trigger memories of challenging co-workers and will probably force you to look in the mirror, but if implemented correctly, the results could be well worth the effort.
Dysfunction 1: The Absence of Trust
From the onset, the concept of building trust is pretty straightforward. It often comes naturally as people want to show the best side of themselves. When starting a new job, people tend to be polite and avoid controversial subjects. As a team begins to tackle work goals, conflict will inevitably arise. According to Lencoloni, team members must be genuinely open with one another about their mistakes and weaknesses to build a foundation of trust. This means that each member of the team needs to overcome the need for invulnerability. While being vulnerable in the workplace may sound uncomfortable, the book offers some low-risk strategies to get started. For example, each team member can share their strengths and weaknesses in terms of their contributions to the success or failure of a project. There is no doubt that building trust will take a great deal of time and work. However, it’s a necessary first step in building a high functioning team.
Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict
The failure to build trust sets the stage for the fear of conflict. Teams that lack trust are incapable of passionate debate of ideas. In the design field, coming up with wild ideas and being ok with failure is part of the process. Having even one team member that is overly judgemental or unwilling to take risks can put a wrench in the process. We must overcome our fear of conflict to continually push toward innovation.
Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment
Fear of conflict spills over into a lack of commitment. When team members don’t feel like they’ve been heard or able to share opinions, they are unlikely to commit to decisions. Lencioni makes a clear distinction between the commitment and consensus of a group:
Great teams ensure that everyone’s ideas are genuinely considered, which creates a willingness to rally around whatever decision is ultimately made by the group. And when that is not possible due to an impasse, the leader of the team is allowed to make the call.
Without a clear plan and the ability to commit, it is very difficult for a team to work together toward a common goal.
Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability
About halfway through the book it becomes clear that each of these dysfunctions are interrelated. The inability to commit leads to lower standards and an avoidance of accountability. Team members may hesitate to call out a peer if everyone had not committed to a clear plan of action.
As politically incorrect as it sounds, the most effective and efficient means of maintaining high standards of performance on a team is peer pressure….More than any policy or system, there is nothing like the fear of letting down respected teammates that motivates people to improve their performance.
Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results
When team members put their individual needs first, collective goals go by the wayside. Teamwork deteriorates if this dysfunction, or any of the others, continue to persisit.
One of the biggest challenges of Lencioni’s method is that each dysfunction is interrelated and not meant to be tackled in isolation. He makes it clear that this will not be an easy process. It will be painful, time consuming and there will likely be fallout. Employees may quit or be fired if they are unwilling to play by the new rules of the team. However, by the end of the book you might find yourself asking, what are we willing to lose by not dealing with these dysfunctions? And, how can I change my own behaviors and attitudes to contribute on a higher level to the team?
