The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership FablePatrick 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.

QuotesThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team - A Model

Truly cohesive teams...1. Trust one another2. Engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas3. Commit to decisions and plans of action4. Hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans5. Focus on the achievement of collective results

Avoidance of ACCOUNTABILITY

Lack of COMMITMENT

Fear of CONFLICT

Absence of TRUST

Inattention to RESULTS

Status and Ego

Low Standards

Ambiguity

Artificial Harmony

Invulnerability

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#1: Absence of TrustThe fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building oftrust within the team.

#2: Fear of ConflictThe desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive,ideological conflict.

#3: Lack of CommitmentThe lack of clarity and/or the fear of being wrong prevents team membersfrom making decisions in a timely and definitive way.

#4: Avoidance of AccountabilityThe need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members fromholding one another accountable for their behaviors.

#5: Inattention to ResultsThe desire for individual credit erodes the focus on collective success.

Fear of

Conflict

Absence of

Trust

Lack of

Commitment

Avoidance of

Accountability

Inattention to

ResultsFocus on Collective Outcomes

Confront Difficult Issues

Force Clarity and Closure

Demand Debate

Be Vulnerable

The Role of the Leader…

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Overview

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Instructions: Use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies toyour team. Be sure to evaluate the statements honestly and without overthinking your answers.

3 = Usually 2 = Sometimes 1 = Rarely

Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of issues.____ 1.

Team members call out one another’s deficiencies or unproductive behaviors.____ 2.

Team members know what their peers are working on and how they contributeto the collective good of the team.

____ 3.

Team members quickly and genuinely apologize to one another when they say ordo something inappropriate or possibly damaging to the team.

____ 4.

Team members willingly make sacrifices (such as budget, turf, head count) intheir departments or areas of expertise for the good of the team.

____ 5.

Team members openly admit their weaknesses and mistakes.____ 6.

Team meetings are compelling and not boring.____ 7.

Team members leave meetings confident that their peers are completely committedto the decisions agreed upon during the meeting, even if there was initialdisagreement.

____ 8.

Morale is significantly affected by the failure to achieve team goals.____ 9.

During team meetings, the most important and most difficult issues are put onthe table to be resolved.

____ 10.

Team members are deeply concerned about the prospect of letting down theirpeers.

____ 11.

Team members know about one another’s personal lives and are comfortablediscussing them.

____ 12.

Team members end discussions with clear and specific resolutions and calls toaction.

____ 13.

Team members challenge one another about their plans and approaches.____ 14.

Team members are slow to seek credit for their own contributions but quick topoint out those of others.

____ 15.

Team Assessment

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

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ScoringCombine your scores for the 15 statements as indicated below.

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.

Total:

Statement 2___

Statement 11___

Statement 14___

Dysfunction 4:Avoidance ofAccountability

Total:Total:Total:Total:

Statement 5____

Statement 9____

Statement 15___

Statement 3____Statement 8____

Statement 13___

Statement 1____

Statement 7____

Statement 10___

Statement 4___

Statement 6___

Statement 12___

Dysfunction 5:Inattention toResults

Dysfunction 3:Lack ofCommitment

Dysfunction 2:Fear ofConflict

Dysfunction 1:Absence ofTrust

Team Assessment

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

* 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 andweaknesses, and specific recommendations for overcoming potential team dysfunction.

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)

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)

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

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)

...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)

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

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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

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Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions

Dysfunction # 1: ABSENCE OF TRUSTStrategy for Overcoming:

• Identify and discuss individual strengths and weaknesses• Spend considerable time in face-to-face meetings and working sessions

Dysfunction # 2: FEAR OF CONFLICTStrategy 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 COMMITMENTStrategy for Overcoming:

• Review commitments at the end of each meeting to ensure all teammembers are aligned

• Adopt a “disagree and commit” mentality—make sure all team membersare committed regardless of initial disagreements

Dysfunction # 4: AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITYStrategy for Overcoming:

• Explicitly communicate goals and standards of behavior• Regularly discuss performance versus goals and standards

Dysfunction # 5: INATTENTION TO RESULTSStrategy for Overcoming:

• Keep the team focused on tangible group goals• Reward individuals based on team goals and collective success

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team