Build Teams that Pull Together Not Apart:

An overview of the Five dysfunctions of Teams

TLC Conference

March 2010

Agenda

• Welcome

• Difference between a group and a team

• Warm up activity

• Overview of the five dysfunctions and strategies for preventing / addressing them

• Next steps – Team Assessment

Team

• Any group of people with a common goal and ownership of shared responsibility in achieving that goal.

(ACT Inc. )

Warm up Activity

• Exploring Team Dysfunctions

Overview of the DysfunctionsLencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Facilitator’s Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Building Trust

Dysfunction # 1Absence of TrustDysfunction # 1Absence of Trust

Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Facilitator’s Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Building Trust

• Trust is the foundation of teamwork

• Building trust takes time

• Trust must be maintained over time

Members of Teams that Lack Trust

• Conceal their weaknesses and mistakes from one another

• Hesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedback

• Hesitate to offer help outside their own areas of responsibility

• Jump to conclusions about the intentions and aptitudes of others without attempting to clarify them

Members of Teams that Lack Trust

• Fail to recognize and tap into one another’s skills and experiences

• Waste time and energy managing their behaviours for effect

• Hold grudges

• Dread meetings and find reasons to avoid spending time together

Strategies For Building Trust

Mastering Conflict

Dysfunction # 2Fear of ConflictDysfunction # 2Fear of Conflict

Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Facilitator’s Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Fear of Conflict• Productive ideological conflict versus

destructive fighting and internal politics

• Good conflict is about unfiltered, passionate debate around issues

• Conflict norms must be clear

• Purpose of productive conflict is to: – produce the best possible solution– discuss and resolve issues more quickly and

completely

Teams That Fear Conflict• Create environments where back channel

politics , personal attacks and harassment thrive

• Ignore controversial topics that are critical to team success

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

• Waste time and energy revisiting issues

Strategies

Achieving Commitment

Dysfunction # 3Lack of Commitment

Dysfunction # 3Lack of Commitment

Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Facilitator’s Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Achieving Commitment

• Great teams make clear and timely decisions and move forward with complete buy-in

A Team That Fails to Commit• Creates ambiguity among the team about

direction and priorities

• Spends too much time doing analysis and delay making decisions

• Breeds lack of confidence and fear of failure

• Revisits decisions again and again

• Encourages second-guessing among team members

Strategies

Embracing Accountability

Dysfunction # 4Lack of Accountability

Dysfunction # 4Lack of Accountability

Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Facilitator’s Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Embracing Accountability

Accountability:

The willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the standards of the group.

A Team That Avoids Accountability

• Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance

• Encourages mediocrity

• Misses deadlines and key deliverables

• Does not hold each other accountable.

Strategies

Focusing on Results

Dysfunction # 5Inattention to Results

Dysfunction # 5Inattention to Results

Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Facilitator’s Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Focusing on Results

• Great teams accomplish the results they set out to achieve

• Team members must prioritize the team’s collective results over individual results

• Teams must publicly clarify desired results and keep them visible

A Team That is Not Focused on Results

• Stagnates / fails to grow

• Loses achievement-oriented members

• Is easily distracted

Strategies

Team Assessment

“Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Henry Ford

Lencioni, Patrick “Conquer Team Dysfunction,” The Power Within, November 2005