Fixing team skills dysfunctions based on the Lencioni Model to keep up the pace

In this article, we will discuss The Lencioni Model from the perspective of skills development, which is a popular framework for team effectiveness. By using this model to develop skills in your team, you can gain a better understanding of what's working well and what's not working on your team for developing skills.?

It can help you identify ways to empower your team to develop skills and achieve their best work. The Lencioni Model was developed by Patrick Lencioni and was first introduced in his book, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," which was a bestseller in the New York Times in 2002.?

The original model is designed to diagnose and treat dysfunction within an organization. It focuses on five main issues that can affect an organization's success if not addressed properly: Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results.?

If you want to learn more about this framework, there is also a brief video available.

I was inspired by this framework to develop the Team Skills Development (TSD) Model

First, what’s the Lencioni model look like?

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team are:

• Absence of Trust: If your team doesn't trust you, or each other, they won't do their best work
• Fear of Conflict: Healthy, constructive conflict is a necessity to live up to their full potential.
• Lack of Commitment: Good work takes commitment - without it can bring the rest of the team down.
• Avoidance of Accountability: if there's no accountability, there's no success.
• Inattention to Results: If not focused on their collective goals, they'll never hit them.

To effectively address issues within your organization, it's important to follow a step-by-step approach for identifying and resolving them.?

Skipping steps or ignoring parts of the process may result in incomplete or ineffective attempts at addressing team dysfunction.

As a manager, it's important to take the time to thoroughly identify the problem and its root causes before attempting to fix team dysfunction. Rushing to address the issue without proper analysis may not lead to a successful outcome.

What is the connection between dysfunctions of teams and skills development?

In many organizations, dysfunctions such as power struggles and lack of trust amongst team members are frequently observed. According to Lencioni, tackling the issue of absence of trust necessitates that the team exhibits vulnerability and a willingness to take risks.

While this statement is not directly related to developing skills in relation to dysfunctions, there is an underlying connection between the two.

In order to develop skills and overcome these dysfunctions, team members need to exhibit vulnerability and a willingness to take risks.?

This can involve admitting to a lack of knowledge, being open to feedback and constructive criticism, and taking on new challenges with a positive mindset.?

By doing so, team members can overcome their fear of failure, lack of curiosity, and avoidance to learn from others. They can also become more attentive to context, by seeking to understand the broader picture and how their work fits into it.

Team Skills Development Model

The structure of the Team Skills Development (TSD) model can be visualized as a pyramid, with Willingness to Learn forming the foundation and Ignore Context at the top. As you move up the pyramid, the other dysfunctions build on top of each other.

Five Dysfunctions of Skills Development in a team are:

• Lack of curiosity: Without curiosity, team members may not explore new ideas or approaches, resulting in missed opportunities for development.
• Absence of willingness to learn: When team members lack a desire to learn, their development is stunted.
• Fear of failure: Fear of failure leads to a lack of risk-taking, which can impede growth and innovation.
• Avoidance to learn from others: Refusal to learn from others can lead to missed learning opportunities and stagnation.
• Ignore context: Ignoring context can lead to misaligned goals and lack of progress in developing relevant skills.

Fixing Team Skills Development Dysfunction

Developing skills and overcoming dysfunctions within a team requires a culture of trust, vulnerability, and a willingness to take risks.?

This can help to create an environment and skills in which team members feel comfortable admitting to their weaknesses, capable of asking and giving feedback, and learning from one another.

In order to address the Five Dysfunctions of Skills Development in a team, leaders should acknowledge and understand their root causes, and collaborate on a plan to address them.?

Consider asking these questions to evaluate dysfunction in your team.

• Do team members have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives of the organization, and how their individual contributions support these goals?
• Is the team open to receiving feedback and suggestions from their peers, and actively seeking out opportunities to learn from others?
• Are team members comfortable taking calculated risks, and do they view failure as a learning opportunity rather than a personal shortcoming?
• Are team members actively seeking out opportunities for growth and development, and taking ownership of their own learning?
• Are team members curious and open-minded, seeking out new ideas and perspectives to improve their work and the overall performance of the team?

To be a successful leader, it's crucial to recognize and address the five dysfunctions of skills development in a team. Foster a culture of curiosity, willingness to learn, and openness to failure to encourage growth and innovation.?

To achieve this culture use the Skills Development Process for fast learning and rapid results.

Encourage learning from others and emphasize the importance of context to align team goals. By modeling these values, leaders can inspire their teams to reach their full potential and achieve greater success.

Pros and Cons of the Team Skills Development Model

The model can be a powerful tool for improving team effectiveness and achieving common goals related to learning relevant skills. One of the main advantages is that it promotes a shared understanding of the team's objectives and expectations, helping to align individual contributions towards a collective purpose.?

Additionally, the model emphasizes the importance of open communication, feedback, and a willingness to learn and grow together. By fostering a learning culture, teams can become more productive, innovative, and resilient over time.

However, there are also some potential downsides to using this model. One challenge is that it may not be suitable for all types of teams or organizations, especially those with highly specialized or individualistic roles. Moreover, the model may not be effective if there are underlying issues with trust, communication, or leadership that need to be addressed first.?

Finally, it is important to recognize that no model is a silver bullet, and that success ultimately depends on the commitment, skills, and motivation of individual team members.

Conclusion

Effective teams are essential for any organization to achieve its goals, and the Team Skills Development model can help leaders develop high-performing teams. By focusing on areas such as context, learning from others, failure, willingness to learn, and curiosity, leaders can identify areas for improvement and work collaboratively with team members to enhance their skills.?

However, it's important to acknowledge that building a strong team is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and commitment.?

Leaders must be patient and persistent in fostering a culture of trust, openness, and accountability, and providing opportunities for team members to learn and grow. By doing so, organizations can create a sustainable competitive advantage and achieve their desired outcomes.

Would you like to discuss skills development in your team or start with skills management reach me out?here. Let’s accelerate the learning skills culture.

Jan-Willem Nieuwenhuys is Managing Partner of?Digital Skilled Professionals?(dsp) and is a trusted advisor in the field of skills management to make organizations future-ready.?

Jan-Willem is also host of the?Learning & Skills Management podcast???

Work changes quickly. Learning and transforming is a challenge for organizations. In these podcasts, we have conversations with learning leaders, professionals, and solution providers who have applied successful methods to transform a business environment.?

#futureofwork?#skillsmanagement?#skillsstrategy?#learningskills