Five Dysfunctions of a TEAM
*information obtained from ” The Five Dysfunctions of a TEAM” by Patrick Lencioni
DID YOU KNOW: organizations fail to achieve teamwork because they unknowingly fall prey to five natural but dangerous pitfalls, which I call the five dysfunctions of a team
These dysfunctions can be mistakenly interpreted as five distinct issues that can be addressed in isolation of the others. But in reality they form an interrelated model, making susceptibility to even one of them potentially lethal for the success of a team.
Absence of Trust this stems from teammates unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group. Team members who are genuinely open with the one another about their mistakes and weaknesses make it impossible to build a foundation for trust.
Fear of Conflict due to the failure to build trust it lays foundation for this dysfunction. Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas. Instead, they resort to veiled (expressed in an indirect way; not openly declared or expressed.) discussion and guarded comments.
Lack of Commitment happens due to the lack of healthy conflicts. Teams who don’t air out their opinions in the course of passionate and open debate, rarely, if ever, buy in and commit to decisions, though they may feign (To give a false appearance of) agreement during meetings.
Avoidance of Accountability is ensured due to the lack of real commitment and buy-in. Without committing to a clear plan of action, even the most focused and driven people often hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviors that seem counterproductive to the good of the team.
Inattention to Results is an affect of teammates failure to hold one another accountable. When team members put their individual needs (ego, career development or recognition) or even the needs of their divisions above the collective goals of the team.
Like a chain with just one link broken, team-work deteriorates if even a single dysfunction is allowed to flourish. Page 189
Members of truly cohesive teams behave:
They trust one another
They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas
They commit to decisions and plans of actions
They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans
They focus on the achievement of collective results.
MUST KNOW: it is extremely difficult to obtain this because it requires levels of discipline and persistence that few teams can muster