5 Dysfunction of a team

The five dysfunctions of a team are a concept introduced by Patrick Lencioni in his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable" (ISBN-10 : ?0787960756 / ISBN-13 : ?978-0787960759).

These dysfunctions can greatly affect the functioning of a team and can have a negative impact on collaboration, effectiveness and results.

What are these dysfunctions?

1. Lack of trust

When there is no trust in a team, team members have difficulty opening up and helping each other. They are cautious about what they say and do for fear of the reaction of their teammates. The lack of trust can also lead to team members thinking that their colleagues do not take their work seriously or that they are not respected.

2. Shyness about conflicts

If there are no conflicts in the team, people avoid addressing problems openly. Team members may withhold their opinions or not say what they really think in order to avoid conflict. This can lead to problems remaining unresolved and decisions being made on the basis of incomplete information.

3. Lack of commitment

If team members are not fully committed to the work of the team, important tasks may be neglected or left incomplete. This can lead to a lack of quality or effectiveness because team members are not fully focused on achieving their goals.

4. Shying away from responsibility

If team members are not willing to take responsibility for their actions or decisions, this can lead to conflict and ineffective work. A lack of responsibility can also lead to important tasks being left undone or to no one being held accountable for problems.

5. Lack of focus on results

If the team is not focused on concrete goals and results, it cannot do its work effectively. The lack of clear goals and results can lead to team members not coordinating their work and to their efforts going in different directions.

But how to tackle this?

To overcome team dysfunction, there are some steps that can be taken. Here are some suggestions:

1. Promote trust

To foster trust in the team, you can conduct regular team-building exercises where team members can get to know each other better and build trust. It is also important to promote open communication in the team, where team members can freely express themselves and share their opinions and ideas.

2. Develop the ability to deal with conflict

To overcome conflicts in the team, you can hold regular meetings where team members can share their opinions and bring in different perspectives. It is important to create an atmosphere where constructive criticism and feedback are encouraged to facilitate open discussion.

3. Set clear goals and responsibilities

To ensure that all team members are working towards the same goal, clear goals should be set that are understandable to each team member. Each team member should also have clear responsibilities so that everyone knows what is expected of them and who is responsible for what tasks.

4. Regular review

To ensure that the team stays on track, regular reviews and feedback rounds should be conducted. This can help identify weaknesses in the team and make improvements.

5. Shared values and vision

In order to increase commitment and motivation in the team, shared values and a vision should be established towards which all team members can work. This can help to ensure that all team members are invested in the work of the team and contribute their skills and talents in the best possible way.

Small Story as example

John was the manager of an IT team at Tech Solutions. The team was highly skilled, but they struggled to communicate and collaborate effectively. They faced several problems, including a lack of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

One day, John realized that the team needed to address these issues to work together more effectively. He brought in Jane, a facilitator, to help the team work through their problems.

At first, Jane focused on building trust within the team. She encouraged team members to share personal stories and to be vulnerable with one another. This helped the team to overcome their lack of trust and to build stronger relationships.

Next, Jane encouraged the team to engage in healthy conflict. She taught them how to give and receive feedback and how to respectfully disagree with one another. The team learned that constructive conflict was necessary to make better decisions and to build a stronger team.

With trust and conflict resolution in place, the team was ready to commit to decisions. Jane encouraged them to make clear commitments and to hold each other accountable. This helped the team to be more invested in decisions and to follow through on their plans.

Finally, Jane helped the team stay focused on results by setting clear goals and expectations. She taught the team how to track progress and celebrate wins together. This helped the team to prioritize collective success over individual goals and to achieve better outcomes.

By working through their problems and building trust, resolving conflict, committing to decisions, holding each other accountable, and staying focused on results, the team was able to overcome their dysfunctions and work together more effectively. They continued to work on these skills, which helped them to sustain their success over time.