Five Dysfunctions of a Team Overview

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Overview: Lencioni's intent is to introduce readers to his theory and encourage them to not only consider that theory, but to employ it. He does this by first presenting a fictional account of a corporate team suddenly faced with a new boss attempting to improve her new team through knowledge and application of these five dysfunctions.  This fable takes up 80% of the book.  The last 20% is devoted to using the fictional example to educate and evaluate that theory, and to offer advice for incorporating it into real settings.

Philosophy: There are five dysfunctions all teams must overcome in order to be truly productive:

The Five Dysfunctions and the Causes of Each

An interview with the Author about the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions:

1.  Absence of Trust resulting from Invulnerability:

• If the members of the team can't share their past experiences and present thoughts, they will not trust each other enough to honestly discuss future goals for the team.

2.  Fear of Conflict resulting from Artificial Harmony:

• If the members of the team are concerned that their honest comments may throw off balance the ease they’ve created by holding back, then everyone will keep holding back.

3.  Lack of Commitment resulting from Ambiguity:

• If the members of the team do not believe in the main goal of the team, ultimately, they will not support it.

4.  Avoidance of Accountability resulting from Low Standards:

• If the members of the team are concerned they will insult their peers by questioning their decisions, they won’t ask the hard questions.

5.  Inattention to Results resulting from Status and Ego:

• If the members of the team do not truly believe in the team’s ability to achieve an overarching goal, they will go rogue to save their individual career.

Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust

Absence of Trust resulting from Invulnerability

Synopsis:  If the members of the team can’t share their past experiences and present thoughts, they will not trust each other enough to honestly discuss future goals for the team.

Support:

“The first dysfunction is a failure on the part of the team members to understand and open up to one another” (Lencioni, 2002, p.43).

 

“Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal” (Lencioni, 2002, p.44).

“Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability” (Lencioni, 2002, p.63).

“If we don’t trust one another, then we aren’t going to engage in open, constructive, ideological conflict. And we’ll just continue to preserve a sense of artificial harmony”         (Lencioni, 2002, p.91).

Members of teams with an absence of trust... (Lencioni, 2002, p.197)

• Conceal their weaknesses and mistakes from one another
• Hesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedback
• Hesitate to offer help outside their own areas of responsibility
• Jump to conclusions about the intentions and aptitudes of others without attempting to clarify them
• Fail to recognize and tap into one another's skills and experiences
• Hold grudges
• Dread meetings and find reasons to avoid spending time together

Members of trusting teams... (Lencioni, 2002, p.197)

• 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

Suggested methods of increasing trust within a team: (Lencioni, 2002, p.198-200)

• Personal Histories Exercises - by learning about each team member on a personal level, team members are able to relate on a personal level, which builds trust.  These exercises do not have to be intense, they can be simple background informational activities.
• Team Effectiveness Exercises - through creating a list of strengths and areas each team member could work on, each team member is left with a list of positive attributes as well as positive, constructive feedback that they can use. Should be done in a controlled environment to ensure most effective, constructive feedback.
• Personality and Behavioral Preference Profiles - behavior/personality tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator help teams understand how each individual contributes and works in individual and team settings.
• Experiential Team Exercises - things like Outward Bound or various ropes courses can be valuable ways to encourage teamwork and trust both in and outside of the workplace.

What are some ways you have seen teams foster trust to avoid the dysfunction of "Absence of Trust"?
(Please click on the 'comments' below and leave your response)

Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict

Fear of Conflict resulting from Artificial Harmony

Synopsis:  If the members of the team are concerned that their honest comments may throw off balance the ease they’ve created by holding back, then everyone will keep holding back. 

Support:

“Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think” (Lencioni, 2002, p.88).

“It’s the lack of conflict that’s a problem. Harmony itself is good, if it comes as a result of working through issues constantly and cycling through conflict. But if it comes only as     a result of people holding back their opinions and honest concerns, then it’s a bad thing” (Lencioni, 2002, p.92).

“Frustration sometimes surfaces in the form of subtle comments, but more often than not, it is bottled up and carried around” (Lencioni, 2002, p.93).

“Our ability to engage in passionate, unfiltered debate about what we need to do to succeed will determine our future as much as any products we develop or partnerships we sign” (Lencioni, 2002, p.101).

Teams that fear conflict... (Lencioni, 2002, p.204)

• Have boring meetings
• Create environments where back-channel politics and personal attacks thrive
• Ignore controversial topics that are critical to team success
• Fail to tap into all the opinions and perspectives of team members
• Waste time and energy with posturing and interpersonal risk management

Teams that engage in conflict... (Lencioni, 2002, p.204)

• 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

Suggested methods of increasing overcoming fear of conflict in a team (Lencioni, 2002, 203-205)

• Mining - the practice of allowing someone on the team to "mine" or force buried disagreements to light in order to work through them.
• Real-Time Permission - a quick reminder from the team leader, when necessary, that the conflict, or healthy debate, is necessary and will bring about the results they need.
• TKI (Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument - a professional tool used to identify how each member approaches conflict and help them learn to have healthy debate with one another based on personality types and inclinations around conflict.

What are some of the most common topics of conflict that go unspoken within your group?  How do these unspoken conflicts affect your group?
(Please click on the 'comments' below and leave your response)

Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment

Lack of Commitment resulting from Ambiguity

Synopsis:  If the members of the team do not believe in the main goal of the team, ultimately, they will not support it.

Support:

“The next dysfunction of a team is the lack of commitment and the failure to buy in to   decisions” (Lencioni, 2002, p.93).

“Consensus becomes an attempt to please everyone” (Lencioni, 2002, p.95).

“Most reasonable people don’t have to get their way in a discussion. They just need to be heard, and to know that their input was considered and responded to” (Lencioni, 2002, p.95).

“People aren’t going to hold each other accountable if they haven’t clearly bought in to the same plan” (Lencioni, 2002, p.99).

“If everything is important, then nothing is” (Lencioni, 2002, p.106).

A team that fails to commit... (Lencioni, 2002, p. 209)

• Creates ambiguity among the team about direction and priorities
• Watches windows of opportunity close due to excessive analysis and unnecessary delay
• Breeds lack of confidence and fear of failure
• Revisits discussions and decisions again and again
• Encourages second-guessing among team members

A team that commits... (Lencioni, 2002, p. 209)

• 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

Suggestions for reducing lack of commitment (Lencioni, 2002, 210-211)

• Cascading Messaging - at the end of each meeting, the team should review key decisions made and agree on what should and should not be communicated to the rest of the staff.  Through this exercise, team members can ensure they are on the same page about all major decisions.
• Deadlines - by simply defining clear deadlines for when decisions must be made, a team can reduce ambiguity and misalignment among team members.  Deadlines should be set for final/major decisions and actions as well as milestones along the way.
• Contingency and Worst-Case Scenario Analysis - by discussing contingency plans and/or worst-case scenarios, teams can overcome their fear of commitment.  It allows them to reduce fears by helping facing the possible pitfalls.

Consider the suggestions above for reducing lack of commitment.  Which of these suggestions do you think would work well for your team and why?
(Please click on the 'comments' below and leave your response)

Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

Avoidance of Accountability resulting from Low Standards

Synopsis: If the members of the team are concerned they will insult their peers by questioning their decisions, they won’t ask the hard questions.


Support:
“Once we achieve clarity and buy-in, it is then that we have to hold each other accountable for what we sign up to do, for high standards of performance and behavior. And as simple as that sounds, most executives hate to do it, especially when it comes to a peer’s behavior” (Lencioni, 2002, p.98).
 “As hard as it is sometimes to enter the danger with your direct reports and confront them with something sticky, it’s even harder with your peers” (Lencioni, 2002, p.98).

“Because we’re supposed to be equals” (Lencioni, 2002, p.99).


 A team that avoids accountability... (Lencioni, 2002, p.214)

• Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance
• Encourages mediocrity
• Misses deadlines and key deliverables
• Places an undue burden on the team leader as the sole source of discipline

A team that holds one another accountable... (Lencioni, 2002, p.214)

• Ensures that poor perfromers 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 high standards
• Avoids excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective action

Suggestions for improving a team's accountability (Lencioni, 2002, ps. 214-215)

• Publication of Goals and Standards - publicly declaring exactly what the team plans to achieve and complete enables the team to easily hold one another accountable.
• Simple and Regular Progress Reviews - structure is an easy way to maintain accountablilty.  By regularly checking in with one another about both progress, performance and behavior, a team is more able and more inclined to keep one another accountable.
• Team Rewards - instead of rewarding individuals, rewarding team achievement is an excellent way to motivate team members to continually hold one another accountable.

How does your team hold one another accountable?  How could your team be more effective at holding one another accountable?
(Please click on the 'comments' below and leave your response)

Dysfunction 5: Inattiention to Results

Inattention to Results resulting from Status and Ego

Synopsis:  If the members of the team do not truly believe in the team’s ability to achieve an overarching goal, they will go rogue to save their individual career.

Support:

“The ultimate dysfunction:  the tendency of team members to seek out individual recognition and attention at the expense of . . . collective results – the goals of the entire team” (Lencioni, 2002, p.71).

“The teams that figure it out have a bigger advantage than ever before because most of            their competitors are just a bunch of individuals looking out for themselves” (Lencioni, 2002, p.76).

“Make the results that we need to achieve so clear that no one would even consider doing  something purely to enhance his or her individual status or ego. Because that would diminish our ability to achieve our collective goals. We would all lose” (Lencioni, 2002, p.77).

‘The key, of course, is to define our goals, our results, in a way that is simple enough to grasp easily, and specific enough to be actionable” (Lencioni, 2002, p.78).

A team that is not focused on results... (Lencioni, 2002, p.218)

• Stagnates/fails to grow
• Rarely defeats competitors
• Loses achievement-oriented employees
• Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals
• Is easily distracted

A team that focuses on collective results... (Lencioni, 2002, p. 218)

• Retains achievement-oriented employees
• Minimizes individualistic behavior
• Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely
• Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the team
• Avoids distractions

Suggestions for focusing teams on collective results (Lencioni, 2002, p. 219)

• Public Declaration of Results - when teams commit publicly to achieving specific results they are more likely to work diligently to achieve those results.
• Results-Based Rewards - though it should not be the sole method of motivation, tying bonuses and other rewards to results is an effective way to motivate a team toward results.  However, basing bonuses on "trying hard" regardless of outcome is counterproductive in this instance.

What methods has your team used to create an overarching goal that encourages collective results from the team?
(Please click on the 'comments' below and leave your response)

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Poll

After reviewing the 5 Dysfunctions, please answer the Poll Everywhere Question below.  To vote on the poll,click the link to http://pollev.com and enter in the number of your vote (ex.  type in 302279 if you think Lack of Committment is the most prevalent dysfunction).

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