The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (part 2)

“Teamwork remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.”
Patrick Lencioni

Teamwork is the main theme of Patrick Lencioni’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. In this book, the author outlines how to effectively work as great teams by eliminating five of the most common roadblocks that impede a team from achieving success. Teamwork is vital to any successful group, and the author argues that great teamwork propels any team to great success regardless of circumstances.

In my last blog I wrote about the first two most common dysfunctions of a team, absence of trust and fear of conflict. In today’s blog, I will discuss the final three most common dysfunctions that keep a team from achieving great results.

A lack of commitment is the third dysfunction of team. This lack of commitment is often a result of ambiguity and a lack of understanding of what the team is truly trying to accomplish and what the ultimate goals of the team are. Without clear direction and a set vision, a lack of commitment from team members is often the result. To obtain real commitment from each member, there must be clarity and buy-in around the team’s vision and ultimate destination. Only then can decisions be made based on the team’s goals. Removing ambiguity and painting a clear picture of the team’s purpose will instill a strong sense of commitment from each member.

The fourth most common dysfunction of a team is an avoidance of accountability. This often results from poor communication and the acceptance of poor performance from team members. When poor performance it tolerated, others assume this low standard is not only acceptable but expected. Thus, team members must not tolerate poor performance, but instead they must hold each other to high standards to achieve success; teams that do not will fall victim to the 4th dysfunction.

The final most common dysfunction of a team is an inattention to results. This dysfunction exists when team members put their personal egos, wants, and needs ahead of the team. By doing this, team members often sacrifice what is best for the team for what is best for them individually. To avoid this, everyone must feel personally responsible for what the team does or does not accomplish. Team members must also understand that if the team fails, everyone fails. Therefore, to be successful, teams must be focused on collective results first!

Avoiding and eliminating the five most common dysfunctions of a team is difficult, and that is why so many teams underachieve. Teams that are able to eliminate the five dysfunctions will well out perform other teams, and they will ultimately have great success. Indeed, the author of this book states the power of teamwork is so strong that a team that truly eliminates the five most common dysfunctions could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time. As leaders, let’s work at building great teams!!

Read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Part 1
See how I ranked this book