Dysfunctional Teams

Teamwork Overview

• Teamwork is elusive; when great, it's often taken for granted, when bad, everyone suffers.
• High performance teams achieve success beyond individual capabilities.
• Great teamwork is not mystical or random; tangible actions can achieve success.
• Warning signs of dysfunction must be monitored by project leaders and team members.

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

• Lencioni's book simplifies the creation of high performance teams through a leadership fable.
• The story demystifies team development and offers a model comprising five dysfunctions:
  • Absence of Trust: Leads to defensive behaviors and reluctance to seek or offer help.
  • Fear of Conflict: Suppresses necessary debate, leading to poor decisions.
  • Lack of Commitment: Results in pseudo-alignment, silencing opposition, and delaying actions.
  • Avoidance of Accountability: Fails to address shortfalls due to discomfort with peer confrontations.
  • Inattention to Results: Causes members to prioritize personal success over team goals.

Detailed Examination of Dysfunctions

Absence of Trust

• Trust is essential for refining and improving ideas.
• Absence leads to wasted time on defensive behaviors.

Fear of Conflict

• Necessary sparring and debate are often avoided, leading to superficial harmony and poor decisions.

Lack of Commitment

• Teams may appear aligned but silence dissenters, leading to action delays.
• True commitment requires confronting uncertainties and moving forward with clarity.

Avoidance of Accountability

• Teams must recognize and address behaviors hindering progress.
• Accountability should be a mutual team dynamic, not just managerial.

Inattention to Results

• Preserving ego disrupts focus on team goals, causing scope creep and delays.

Application in Various Team Types

• Dysfunction can appear in leadership teams, project teams, cross-functional teams, and work teams.
• Leadership Teams: Set norms, influence below teams, and require self-reflection.
• Project Teams: Face time constraints needing focus on project charters for accountability.
• Cross Functional Teams: Must avoid silos and prioritize value stream performance.
• Work Teams: Require ongoing debate and transparency, with activities to reinforce respect.

Summary

• Teams must trust, engage in conflict, commit to decisions, hold one another accountable, and focus on results.
• Success is due to preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.

About Jodi Walsh

• Innovator with a passion for simplifying complexity and creating sustainable systems.
• Background: PhD Chemist, extensive experience in manufacturing and supply chain.
• Combines professional and personal interests, valuing learning, innovation, and respect for individuals.