Transcript The Five Dysfunctions of a Team By Patrick Lencioni

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
By Patrick Lencioni
Authors Underlying
Assumptions
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It takes five things to make an exemplary
team
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Trust
Conflict
Commitment
Accountability
Attention to Results
Each of these is foundational to the next
What do each of these mean
to the Author?
Trust
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It is the confidence among team members
that their peer’s intentions are good, and
that there is no reason to be protective or
careful around the group. In essence,
teammates must get comfortable being
vulnerable with one another.
Purpose is to avoid wasting time and
energy managing behaviors and
interactions within the group.
Leader’s role – demonstrate vulnerability
first
Conflict
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Productive ideological conflict which is
limited to concepts and ideas, and avoids
personality focused, mean spirited
attacks.
Sole purpose is to produce the best
possible solution in the shortest time.
Leader’s role – demonstrate restraint
when team members engage in conflict
and allow resolution to occur naturally.
Commitment
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A function of two things: clarity and buyin
– Clarity – team makes clear and timely
decisions
– Buy-in – the ability to move forward
confident that no one on the team is
quietly harboring doubts about whether
to support the actions agreed on.
Commitment Continues
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Purpose is to avoid unresolvable discord
deeper in the organization by making
clear decisions.
Leader’s role – be comfortable with the
prospect of making a decision that
ultimately turns out to be wrong,
constantly push the team for closure
around issues and around adherence to
schedules set by the team.
Accountability
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The willingness of team members to call
their peers on performance or behaviors
that might hurt the team.
The purpose is to hold one another
accountable, thus demonstrating respect
for one another and high expectations for
one another’s performance.
Leader’s role – encourage and allow the
team to serve as the first and primary
accountability mechanism.
Attention to Details
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The tendency of teams to care about
something other than the collective goals
of the group.
Purpose is to have an unrelenting focus
on specific objectives and clearly defined
outcomes determined by the team.
Leader’s role – set the tone for a focus on
results.
Assessment of Team
– Results of Assessment for NWPHLI
– Results of CCAT
Common Pitfalls and Their
Consequence if Not
Overcome
Trust
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Most successful people have learned to be
competitive with their peers and
protective of their reputations.
The challenge is to turn these instincts off
for the good of the team.
Result if NOT overcome
– Dread team meetings
– Reluctant to take risks
– Morale is low
– Turnover is high
Conflict
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Most people have learned to avoid
conflict in an effort to avoid hurting
other’s feelings and because they think it
is inefficient.
Team members do not want to openly
debate and disagree about important ideas
The challenge is to get the team to
acknowledge that engaging in healthy
conflict is productive.
Conflict Continues
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Result if NOT overcome
– Dangerous tension is encouraged
– Back channel attacks occur
– Issues are revisited again and again
without resolution
Commitment
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The desire to seek consensus.
The desire to have full assurance that a
decision is right.
The challenge is ensure everyone’s
opinions and perspectives are on the table
so that the collective wisdom of the team
can be tapped into.
Commitment Continues
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Result if NOT overcome
– A ripple effect is created among
subordinates
– Employees who report to a leader who
does not have buy-in will clash with
colleagues in other departments.
– Small gaps among leaders become
major discrepancies among employees
Accountability
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There is a general tendency to avoid
difficult conversations.
There is a natural inclination to opt out
instead of enter the danger zone
Team members are often close to one
another and fear jeopardizing a valuable
personal relationship
The challenge is to help the team get to a
place where they are afraid to let down
their respected teammates.
Accountability Continues
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Result if NOT overcome
– Relationships deteriorate
– Team members begin to resent one
another for not living up to
expectations
– And for allowing the standards of the
group to erode
Attention to Results
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Members may simply want the status of
being part of the team and therefore
results are not worthy of great sacrifice or
inconvenience
Members may be focusing on their own
position and career prospects therefore
the group is less important to them than
their own goals
The challenge is to get the team to focus
on results and to have a strong desire to
achieve meaningful objectives.
More Attention to Results
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Result if NOT overcome
– Success is merely being accociated
with the team
– The teams objective is to merely exist
or survive
Suggestions for Overcoming
Pitfalls
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Must read the book!
Thank you!!