The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is certainly one of the few books on a short-bookshelf for the leader.

At its heart, the book talks about the fact that the characteristics on that left side of the above poster are those pieces that fall away as a team or organization becomes increasingly dysfunctional.  Trust is the first to go. Team members no longer trust each other. As you climb up the left side, they then no longer confront each other. Soon, their commitment to each other is no longer in place. They quit holding each other accountable.  Finally attention to results erodes.

Rather attention is directed towards “How do I protect my position?” Alliances are made between people, “I’ll cover for you if you cover for me”, and the team successfully enters the depths of a dysfunctional vortex. Do you see any of those dysfunctions with the team on which you currently work?

The right side shows where growth needs to occur for a healthy team to exist.

There needs to be vulnerability among members. That’s what happens when trust is in place. People are able to be vulnerable and open – giving each other feedback.  They are able to confront each other which leads to greater harmony.  They have commitments. They know their role on the team. They know other’s roles on the team. There’s an increased clarity around those roles so that standards can be set. Accountability can be put in place, and growth can occur.

As a leader, watch for these five dysfunctions. When you see any of the dysfunctions beginning, take definite and intentional steps to correct that direction. Because ultimately, if you don’t correct that direction, the productivity of your team goes down and how your brand as a leader suffers.

Categories: Affiliation, Conflict Management

Tags: conflict