The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
by Patrick Lencioni
Group Assessment of Book
All four members of our team agree that this is one of the best books any of us has read regarding team issues and the effective handling of those issues. As present and future librarians, we all love a good yarn. The author’s fable drew us in, compelling us to question our own professional situations. Through storytelling, the author created characters we could identify and/or sympathize with, and a pursuit we could respect and potentially work towards in our own lives. Philosophy is a difficult thing to digest, but by providing a fictional story first, the author is able to engage the audience and to leave a lasting imprint upon the readers.
The philosophy is explained in a very straightforward manner. It is broken down into five components of dysfunctional teams and the human characteristics that cause them. The language used is clear and readily understandable, without the intricate academic terminology so often found in philosophical descriptions.
Group Assessment of Philosophy
We believe the philosophy to be a sound, effective approach to leadership practice. It is both logical and practical.
It is grounded in the simple fact that “teams, because they are made up of imperfect human beings, are inherently dysfunctional (Lencioni, p.vii).” People, even with the best of intentions, can be uncomfortable trusting and confronting each other, with committing to and being held accountable to courses of action, and with attending to team results over individual results.
The philosophy can be used effectively in both life and work. It is flexible with regard to the order in which the components can be introduced and discussed. It is also general enough that it can be used to create effective teams in a variety of different situations, be they at home or at work.
It is not a simple process to undergo – it takes diligence and perseverance from all team members, but if a strong, consistent leader commits to bringing a team together, and those team members are willing to commit to the difficult and challenging work of self-reflection and action, the results can be powerful.
