Building Better Teams

Overcoming

the 5 Dysfunctions

Adapted from: Lencioni, P (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

What is “Dysfunction”?

dys·func·tion

• noun

• \(ˌ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən\

• The condition of having poor and unhealthy

behaviors and attitudes within a group of

people

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysfunction

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

5 4

3

2

1

Inattention to Results

Avoidance of Accountability

Lack of Commitment

Fear of Conflict

Absence of Trust

Without conflict, there can be no commitment

Without trust, there can be no conflict.

Without accountability, there are no results.

Without commitment, there can be no accountability.

The Absence of Trust

http://www.shellierushingtomlinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lucycharliefootball.gif

Teams with a lack of Trust

• Conceal their weaknesses and

mistakes and manage their behaviors

for effect

• Hesitate to provide feedback, ask

for or offer help outside their own

areas of responsibility

• Jump to conclusions about others

without attempting to clarify them

• Fail to recognize other’s skills and

experiences and hold grudges

• Avoid meetings and spending time

together

Teams that Trust • Admit mistakes, recognize weaknesses, and

ask for help, and take risks

• Appreciate and use one another’s skills and

experiences

• Accept questions and input about their areas

of responsibility

• Give one another the benefit of the doubt

• 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 http://www.integrity-apps.com/stronger/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fun-workplace.jpg

The Leader’s Role in Building Trust

Tools • Personal Histories

• Team Effectiveness Exercises

• Personality / Behavioral

Preference Profiles

• 360-degree feedback

• Experimental Team Exercises

Actions • Lead by example

• Protect the team by accepting

responsibility for team’s

mistakes

• Focus on long term success

• Quickly resolve problems

http://www.jillkonrath.com/Portals/110248/images/blogs/3-sales-strategies-to-build-trust-09-20-2011.jpg

The Fear of Conflict

http://englishrussia.com/images/fight_in_verkhovna_rada/1.jpg

Teams with a Fear of Conflict

• 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 opinions and

perspectives of team members

• Waste time and energy on

posturing and interpersonal risk

management

http://loopofconfidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Head-in-Sand-Afraid.jpg

Teams that Embrace Conflict

• Have lively, interesting meetings

• Extract and exploit the ideas of

all team members

• Solve real problems quickly

• Minimize politics

• Put critical options on the table

for discussion

http://www.rashanasoundessences.com/images/conflict_resolution_and_management.jpg

The Leader’s Role in Embracing Conflict Tools • Disagreement “Root Causing”

• Courage and Confidence

• Personality / Behavioral

Preference Profiles

Actions • Admit that it is ok to have

conflict around ideas

• Allow conflict resolution to occur

naturally as often as possible

• During conflicts, remind team

that it is healthy and necessary

• Protect team members from

harm, by maintaining focus on

ideas

• Engage in healthy conflict, when

necessary, as an example

The Lack of Commitment

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKjF0tTCKiU/UmDC9PZhclI/AAAAAAAABm0/fsKdsF8jL3U/s1600/the_commitment.jpg

Teams with a Lack of Commitment

• Create ambiguity about

direction and priorities

• Watch windows of opportunity

close due to excessive analysis

and second-guessing

• Breed lack of confidence and

fear of failure

• Revisit discussions and

decisions again and again

“It is a lack of commitment,

not a lack of talent, that

damns you to mediocrity.”

-Roy H. Williams

Committed Teams

• Create clarity, direction, and

priorities

• Align around common

objectives

• Develop an ability to learn from

mistakes

• Take advantage of opportunities

before competitors

• Move forward without hesitation

• Change direction without

hesitation or guilt

The Leader’s Role in Generating Commitment Tools • Consistent Messaging

• Contingency and Worst-Case

Scenario Analysis

• Delegation in Low-Risk

Situations

• Visual management

Actions • Create certainty through

commitment to actions

• Set clear deadlines

• Push group for closure of issues

• Adhere to accepted schedules

http://empowermarketinginsights.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/commitment.jpg

The Lack of Accountability

http://julettemillien.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/accountability-joke.jpg

Teams that Avoid Accountability

• Create resentment among

team members who have high

standards of performance

• Encourage mediocrity

• Miss deadlines and key

deliverables

• Place burden on leaders to be

the sole source of discipline

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbqtrQRzW10/T--rLbmzi5I/AAAAAAAAGLA/nlis2znipxU/s1600/ID-10046198.jpg

Accountable Teams

• Ensure that poor performers feel

pressure to improve

• Identify potential problems

quickly by questioning

approaches without hesitation

• Establish respect among team

members who are held to the

same high standards

• Avoid excessive bureaucracy

around performance

management and corrective

action

http://api.ning.com/files/D7OtuoxqP97ZvxJ06cDMOkt74wkL9fUd8pQPPBnzu0BE4fPEjfX5T*eGWUrz-tt4MDtM*F5HLG6Vt3cN63wwQ*h8dWZQO2XT/leadershipandaccountability.jpg

The Leader’s Role in Generating Accountability Tools • Public goals and standards

• Simple and regular progress reviews

• Team-based recognition

Actions • Encourage and allow team to serve as

the first and primary accountability

mechanism

• Serve as the ultimate arbiter of

discipline when the team fails

http://www.elliottcaras.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tshirt1.jpg

Inattention to Results

http://cdn.arkarthick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/productivity-at-work-tips-social-media-distractions.jpg

Teams without a Focus on Results

• Stagnate and fail to grow

• Rarely defeat competitors

• Lose achievement oriented

employees

• Encourage team members to

focus on their own careers and

individual goals

• Are easily distracted

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYHOG6z8n_wWdxW1_2LXBdWNz2-st00c81xtOaQpM1gQpOSBAN7w

Teams that Focus on Results

• Retain achievement oriented

employees

• Minimize individualistic

behavior

• Enjoy success and suffer failure

acutely

• Benefit from individuals who

subjugate their own

goals/interests for the good of

the team

• Avoid distractions

The Leader’s Role in Focusing on Results Tools • Public Declaration of Results

• Results-based Rewards

Actions • Set the tone for a focus on

results by focusing on results

• Must be selfless and objective

http://www.flightschooltosuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/focus_results.jpg

You’ve built a better team when...

…team members trust each other enough …to engage in conflict over ideas …and hold each other accountable …for achieving collective results

• Contingency/Worst-Case Scenario

Analysis

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario_planning

• Delegation in Low-Risk Situations

• 3 types of Leadership (lead the way)

• Visual management

• http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?Lea

nPostId=220

• Public goals, standards, and declaration

of results

• http://www.information-

management.com/issues/20051101/1040487

-1.html

• Simple and regular progress reviews

• http://www.effectivemeetings.com/

• Team-based recognition

• http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/msloc/knowl

edge-lens/stories/2011/team-based-

rewards.html

Tools for Leaders • Personal History Exercise

• http://www.slideshare.net/JoelWenger1/leaders

hip-tools-personal-histories-20150615

• Team Effectiveness Exercises

• Personality/Behavioral Profiles

• http://www.enneagramworldwide.com/

• 360-degree feedback

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360-

degree_feedback

• Team Exercises

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropes_course

• Disagreement “Root Causing”

• http://www.isixsigma.com/tools-

templates/cause-effect/final-solution-root-

cause-analysis-template/

• Consistent Messaging

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_communi

cation

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jwenger/

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Joel Wenger Consulting Manager, Financial Blogger

Trusted Advisor