Dysfunctional Teams

Dysfunctional Teams

Some of my work is with leaders who wish to develop further as leaders, people who should be leaders and want to be, or with leaders who are frustrated building teams.

Patrick Lencioni was recommended as a must-read author several years ago. Finally got around to reading Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Recommended.

The first part of the book unfolds his ideas as a story of a new CEO charged with leading a highly dysfunctional team. I think I may have been on one similar to that in my life. Maybe you, too.

The model builds like a pyramid.

Lencioni 5 dysfunctions of team

The underlying problem is lack of trust. That inhibits free and open discussions. So, there is a fear of conflict, meaning good ideas don’t make it to the table. Team members are not committed to the common good since decisions are not bred in an atmosphere of trust. Without commitment, it’s hard to nail down the specifics to hold people accountable. Finally, there is inattention to results of the company while everyone scrambles to preserve their own backsides and pad their resumes.

By the end of the story, Lencioni describes the new team in a way that almost overlooks the key word of the entire fable–energy.  Because the new team had worked through the dysfunctions, its meetings were filled with a positive, vital energy. Individual members were energized to go back to their teams and breathe energy into them.

If you are building a team or need to get your current team back on track, read and live out this book.

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