5 Dysfunctions of a Team… and what to do about it.
Whether it’s a sporting team, a work team, or even our families, we all belong to teams—and the success of these teams has a huge impact on the results we achieve, and the satisfaction we feel along the way. Just like a fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat to burn, teams need certain elements to “fire” effectively. Remove any one of these, and the team struggles.
Patrick Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team powerfully identifies the key ingredients for high-performing teams, each building on the one below it. Here’s a look at the 5 dysfunctions—and how leaders can address them.
1. Absence of Trust
The Problem:
When there is no trust, team members are unwilling to be vulnerable, admit mistakes, or acknowledge weaknesses. This creates guardedness and limits honest communication. Trust is the critical foundation for all successful teams.
The Solution:
Lead by example: admit your own mistakes and weaknesses openly, and encourage honest conversations.
Use personality profiling tools (e.g., DISC, MBTI, Social Styles) to understand yourself and your team members better.
Regularly check in with individuals with empathy and transparency.
Make time together to align on team values, resolve issues, commit to priorities, celebrate successes—and have some fun!
2. Fear of Conflict
The Problem:
Without trust, teams avoid healthy debate, preferring artificial harmony. This avoidance leads to unresolved issues, simmering tension, and suppressed frustration.
The Solution:
Encourage constructive debate and differing opinions.
Establish guidelines for respectful disagreement; sometimes assigning a ‘Challenger’ role helps people practice.
Train team members in conflict management and effective communication.
Intervene when tough discussions are avoided; facilitate honest, direct conversations.
3. Lack of Commitment
The Problem:
When teams avoid airing differences, members fail to buy into decisions. This results in ambiguity, misalignment, and lack of focus.
The Solution:
Clearly communicate goals, objectives, and expectations.
Encourage active participation in decision-making.
Seek commitment to key priorities, not just agreement.
Foster ownership by involving team members in planning and implementation.
4. Avoidance of Accountability
The Problem:
Without commitment, team members are reluctant to hold each other accountable, undermining standards and results.
The Solution:
Establish clear performance expectations and roles.
Encourage regular feedback and performance reviews.
Track progress and ensure accountability consistently.
Promote a culture where peers respectfully hold each other accountable.
5. Inattention to Results
The Problem:
When accountability is lacking, team members prioritize personal success, ego, or departmental goals over collective achievement, causing group performance to suffer.
The Solution:
Create a shared vision and plan that inspires commitment.
Link rewards and recognition to group achievements.
Celebrate collective successes, not just individual accomplishments.
Regularly review and assess team performance against goals.
By addressing each dysfunction with targeted actions, leaders can build trust, encourage honest conversations, create clarity and buy-in, foster accountability, and keep the team focused on shared success. Teams that “fire” together deliver extraordinary results—and enjoy the process along the way.
Source: Patrick Lencioni’s, 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
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