How leaders can combat the five dysfunctions of a team

Last week I sat next to someone on a flight who specifically asked me what I did for work.

As I shared the reason for this particular trip, I explained to her that sometimes I didn’t even think of it as work because I absolutely love doing what I do.

I told her was heading interstate to facilitate a two-day program – one of six workshops that I am running as part of an 18-month learning journey for a hand-picked group of 25 leaders.

My new friend in 11B was quite inquisitive and when I asked her why she was so curious, she let me know that whilst she had been retired for nearly 15 years and was going to spend a week visiting her sister, she used to be responsible for a large team of air traffic controllers across the eastern seaboard.

Talk about a high-pressured job.

Although I now had lots of questions for her, I didn’t want to sit there grilling her, so I just asked her one question: What was her biggest learning as a leader.

She closed her eyes and lay her head back against the seat. At first I thought maybe she didn’t want to chat anymore and had decided to have a bit of a nap, but then she smiled and said, “I would say I mastered the art of leading a dysfunctional team.”

The session I was running was on ‘building a high performance culture’.

“Let me show you something”, I said.

I grabbed my bag out of the overhead locker and took out my laptop. I opened up one of the slides I would be walking through with the group during the workshop. The heading was The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and the slide contained this image.

Judith (11B had officially introduced herself as I was getting my laptop out) smiled again and said, “Of course … Patrick Lencioni’s pyramid of team dysfunctionality. I know it well”.

“I should bring you in as a guest presenter”, I said.

“I have no doubt you’ve got it all under control”, she replied.

One of the modules I had created was indeed based on the model introduced by Patrick Lencioni nearly 25 years ago which outlines the common pitfalls that teams encounter, hindering their effectiveness and overall performance. It serves as a powerful framework for understanding and addressing the challenges faced by teams of all shapes and sizes in both the private and public sector.

I had designed a series of activities and group discussions which would explore each dysfunction and its impact.

Absence of Trust

The foundation of any successful team is trust. Without trust, team members are reluctant to be vulnerable or open with one another and often suffer from hidden agendas and office politics. This lack of psychological safety prevents honest communication, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas.

During my workshop I also fleshed out the ‘trust deficit’, ‘trusted advisor’, and ‘trust equation’ frameworks.

For a leader wanting to help overcome this dysfunction, it’s important to lead by example, demonstrate vulnerability, share personal experiences, and challenge team members to do the same. It’s important for leaders to clearly communicate that trust is a foundational value for the team, emphasising its importance in achieving collective success.

Fear of Conflict

As mentioned in a recent piece, conflict, when managed constructively, is essential for healthy team dynamics. Having said that, many teams avoid disagreements, fearing that it might lead to discord and disruption. This fear of conflict results in superficial harmony, where important issues go unaddressed, and the team fails to reach optimal solutions.

A responsible leader will encourage healthy debate, creating a safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing differing viewpoints and engaging in constructive discussions. Of course, it’s important to establish guidelines on how disagreements should be handled, emphasising the focus on finding the best solution rather than winning an argument.

Lack of Commitment

When team members fail to engage in healthy conflict and lack clarity in decisions, commitment to the team’s goals and objectives becomes weak. People may not fully buy into the decisions made, leading to ambiguity and lack of accountability.

Building commitment requires open and robust discussions, allowing all voices to be heard, and creating a clear plan of action that everyone agrees on and where everyone understands their role in achieving any set targets.

As a leader, it’s important to encourage active participation in decision-making processes to increase commitment and ownership of the chosen direction.

Avoidance of Accountability

Without commitment, team members may shy away from holding each other to account for their actions and performance. This dysfunction leads to a lack of responsibility, and low standards become the norm.

A culture of accountability can be fostered by setting clear expectations, defining individual roles and responsibilities, and encouraging team members to confront one another about their performance in a constructive manner.

As a leader, as part of setting regular progress reviews, it’s important to establish SMART goals for your individual team members and your team, providing clear benchmarks for accountability. However, as an alternative to the goals being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, you might want to consider setting safe, modest, achievable, researchable (based on data), and time-bound goals, too.

Inattention to Results

The ultimate goal of any team is to achieve collective success. However, when individual egos, departmental priorities, or personal ambitions take precedence, the team’s overall performance suffers.

In high-performing teams, individual interests are aligned with the team’s objectives, and members celebrate team success over personal achievements.

As a leader, based on the information available, it’s up to you to articulate the team’s primary purpose and to align individual objectives with the team’s overall mission. If necessary, address any behaviours that prioritise individual interests over the team’s goals, emphasising the importance of teamwork.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team model provides valuable insights into the root causes of team inefficiency. By addressing issues related to trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and focus on results, a leader can play a crucial role in promoting a healthy team culture by creating a strong foundation for collaboration, innovation, and achievement.

“Good luck with your workshop”, Judith said as we walked off the plane. “I’m sure it will go every well”.

Fortunately, it went extremely well, and I’m already looking forward to spending another two days with this highly engaged group of leaders in September.

Remember, hellomonday can provide support to every leader, reinforcing habits through curated learning and impactful coaching, helping leaders create a strong foundation for their teams to thrive by actively addressing the five dysfunctions and promoting a collaborative and trusting environment.