Building Better Teams - Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions

Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, Results; these are the hallmarks of effective teams, as described by Patrick Lencioni in his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team". This presentation contains an overview of each one, as well as my take on the tools and actions leaders can take to address each one.

1. Building
Better Teams

Overcoming
the 5
Dysfunctions
Adapted from: Lencioni, P (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

2. What is “Dysfunction”?
dys·func·tion
•noun
•\(ˌ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən\
•The condition of having poor and unhealthy
behaviors and attitudes within a group of
people
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysfunction

3. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
5
4
3
2
1
Inattention to Results
Avoidance of Accountability
Lack of Commitment
Fear of Conflict
Absence of Trust
Without conflict, there can be no commitment
Without trust, there can be no conflict.
Without accountability, there are no results.
Without commitment, there can be no accountability.

4. The Absence of Trust
http://www.shellierushingtomlinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lucycharliefootball.gif

5. Teams with a lack of Trust
•Conceal their weaknesses and
mistakes and manage their behaviors
for effect

•Hesitate to provide feedback, ask
for or offer help outside their own
areas of responsibility

•Jump to conclusions about others
without attempting to clarify them

•Fail to recognize other’s skills and
experiences and hold grudges

•Avoid meetings and spending time
together

6. Teams that Trust
•Admit mistakes, recognize weaknesses, and
ask for help, and take risks

•Appreciate and use one another’s skills and
experiences

•Accept questions and input about their areas
of responsibility

•Give one another the benefit of the doubt

•Focus time and energy on important issues,
not politics

•Offer and accept apologies without hesitation

•Look forward to meetings and other
opportunities to work as a group
http://www.integrity-apps.com/stronger/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fun-workplace.jpg

7. The Leader’s Role in Building Trust
Tools
•Personal Histories

•Team Effectiveness Exercises

•Personality / Behavioral
Preference Profiles

•360-degree feedback

•Experimental Team Exercises
Actions
•Lead by example

•Protect the team by accepting
responsibility for team’s
mistakes

•Focus on long term success

•Quickly resolve problems

http://www.jillkonrath.com/Portals/110248/images/blogs/3-sales-strategies-to-build-trust-09-20-2011.jpg

8. The Fear of Conflict
http://englishrussia.com/images/fight_in_verkhovna_rada/1.jpg

9. Teams with a Fear of Conflict
•Have boring meetings

•Create environments where
back-channel politics and
personal attacks thrive

•Ignore controversial topics that
are critical to team success

•Fail to tap into all opinions and
perspectives of team members

•Waste time and energy on
posturing and interpersonal risk
management

http://loopofconfidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Head-in-Sand-Afraid.jpg

10. Teams that Embrace Conflict
•Have lively, interesting meetings

•Extract and exploit the ideas of
all team members

•Solve real problems quickly

•Minimize politics

•Put critical options on the table
for discussion
http://www.rashanasoundessences.com/images/conflict_resolution_and_management.jpg

11. The Leader’s Role in Embracing
Conflict
Tools
•Disagreement “Root Causing”

•Courage and Confidence

•Personality / Behavioral
Preference Profiles
Actions
•Admit that it is ok to have
conflict around ideas

•Allow conflict resolution to occur
naturally as often as possible

•During conflicts, remind team
that it is healthy and necessary

•Protect team members from
harm, by maintaining focus on
ideas

•Engage in healthy conflict, when
necessary, as an example

12. The Lack of Commitment
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKjF0tTCKiU/UmDC9PZhclI/AAAAAAAABm0/fsKdsF8jL3U/s1600/the_commitment.jpg

13. Teams with a Lack of Commitment
•Create ambiguity about
direction and priorities

•Watch windows of opportunity
close due to excessive analysis
and second-guessing

•Breed lack of confidence and
fear of failure

•Revisit discussions and
decisions again and again
“It is a lack of commitment,
not a lack of talent, that
damns you to mediocrity.”
-Roy H. Williams

14. Committed Teams
•Create clarity, direction, and
priorities

•Align around common
objectives

•Develop an ability to learn from
mistakes

•Take advantage of opportunities
before competitors

•Move forward without hesitation

•Change direction without
hesitation or guilt

15. The Leader’s Role in Generating
Commitment
Tools
•Consistent Messaging

•Contingency and Worst-Case
Scenario Analysis

•Delegation in Low-Risk
Situations

•Visual management
Actions
•Create certainty through
commitment to actions

•Set clear deadlines

•Push group for closure of issues

•Adhere to accepted schedules
http://empowermarketinginsights.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/commitment.jpg

16. The Lack of Accountability
http://julettemillien.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/accountability-joke.jpg

17. Teams that Avoid Accountability
•Create resentment among
team members who have high
standards of performance

•Encourage mediocrity

•Miss deadlines and key
deliverables

•Place burden on leaders to be
the sole source of discipline
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbqtrQRzW10/T--rLbmzi5I/AAAAAAAAGLA/nlis2znipxU/s1600/ID-10046198.jpg

18. Accountable Teams
•Ensure that poor performers feel
pressure to improve

•Identify potential problems
quickly by questioning
approaches without hesitation

•Establish respect among team
members who are held to the
same high standards

•Avoid excessive bureaucracy
around performance
management and corrective
action
http://api.ning.com/files/D7OtuoxqP97ZvxJ06cDMOkt74wkL9fUd8pQPPBnzu0BE4fPEjfX5T*eGWUrz-tt4MDtM*F5HLG6Vt3cN63wwQ*h8dWZQO2XT/leade rshipandaccountability.jpg

19. The Leader’s Role in Generating
Accountability
Tools
•Public goals and standards

•Simple and regular progress reviews

•Team-based recognition

Actions
•Encourage and allow team to serve as
the first and primary accountability
mechanism

•Serve as the ultimate arbiter of
discipline when the team fails


http://www.elliottcaras.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tshirt1.jpg

20. Inattention to Results
http://cdn.arkarthick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/productivity-at-work-tips-social-media-distractions.jpg

21. Teams without a Focus on Results
•Stagnate and fail to grow

•Rarely defeat competitors

•Lose achievement oriented
employees

•Encourage team members to
focus on their own careers and
individual goals

•Are easily distracted
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYHOG6z8n_wWdxW1_2LXBdWNz2 -st00c81xtOaQpM1gQpOSBAN7w

22. Teams that Focus on Results
•Retain achievement oriented
employees

•Minimize individualistic
behavior

•Enjoy success and suffer failure
acutely

•Benefit from individuals who
subjugate their own
goals/interests for the good of
the team

•Avoid distractions

23. The Leader’s Role in Focusing on
Results
Tools
•Public Declaration of Results

•Results-based Rewards

Actions
•Set the tone for a focus on
results by focusing on results

•Must be selfless and objective

http://www.flightschooltosuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/focus_results.jpg

24. You’ve built a better team when...
…team members trust each other enough
…to engage in conflict over ideas
…and hold each other accountable
…for achieving collective results

25. •Contingency/Worst-Case Scenario
Analysis
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario_planning
•Delegation in Low-Risk Situations
•3 types of Leadership (lead the way)
•Visual management
•http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?Lea
nPostId=220
•Public goals, standards, and declaration
of results
•http://www.information-
management.com/issues/20051101/1040487
-1.html
•Simple and regular progress reviews
•http://www.effectivemeetings.com/
•Team-based recognition
•http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/msloc/knowl
edge-lens/stories/2011/team-based-
rewards.html
Tools for Leaders
•Personal History Exercise
•http://www.slideshare.net/JoelWenger1/leaders
hip-tools-personal-histories-20150615
•Team Effectiveness Exercises

•Personality/Behavioral Profiles
•http://www.enneagramworldwide.com/
•360-degree feedback
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360-
degree_feedback
•Team Exercises
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropes_course
•Disagreement “Root Causing”
•http://www.isixsigma.com/tools-
templates/cause-effect/final-solution-root-
cause-analysis-template/
•Consistent Messaging
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_communi
cation

26. http://www.linkedin.com/in/jwenger/
http://www.twitter.com/joelwenger
Joel Wenger
Consulting Manager, Financial Blogger
Trusted Advisor