Have you ever worked in a team? Facilitated a meeting where the only feedback you get on an action is silence? But as soon as you leave the room, everyone comes to you to complain about it? Or does everyone start blaming each other after an incident?
Unfortunately, we have all experienced this kind of anecdote. Patrick Lencioni has grouped them together, analyzed them and addressed them in his book The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team.
I suggest you discover these five dysfunctions and how to identify and mitigate them.
Disclaimer: This model is one of several representations of interpersonal dynamics within a team. We recommend using it only as a basis for reflection.
All models are wrong, but some are useful.
George Box
Level 1 of team dysfunction: Lack of trust
A team member who doesn’t dare ask for help? Trying to compose an answer to a question instead of saying “I don’t know”? You may be experiencing a lack of trust within the team.
So, the word “trust” can mean many things. In this context, we’ll say it’s the feeling among team members that each other’s intentions are good and that there’s no reason to be protective or cautious within the group.
Origin of the dysfunction:
This dysfunction would come from a need for invulnerability with others.
Ways to identify it:
- Hesitation to ask for or offer help within the team.
- People hide their weaknesses from others (Skills, Feelings).
- Few informal exchanges between team members.
How to mitigate it:
- For example, create opportunities for team members to discuss simple topics (hometown, worst job, hobby) through icebreakers. (Note: Be careful; this takes time, and the activity should not be forced .)
- Lead by example by answering “I don’t know” when team members ask us a question about something to which we don’t have the answer.
- Have the team create a standard structure on how I can ask for or provide help. (You can use “ Ask for help ” 1 of Core Protocols 2 as a basis)
Level 2 of team dysfunction: Fear of conflict
Would you rather go to a meeting or see a movie? I’m guessing you chose the movie.
Yet, as Lencioni points out, we can be active in meetings, having our say in discussions that can impact our lives. However, when watching a film, we are passive, and it rarely impacts our lives.
So why do we prefer the movie? Because it has an unresolved plot, a conflict!
Origin of the dysfunction:
Artificial harmony.
Conflict is a taboo subject in the workplace. During a presentation, I was once told that the word “conflict” was “too strong ” and that it would be better to talk about disagreement.
Moreover, without trust, there can be no conflict or debate, for fear that our words will be interpreted as destructive or critical.
Ways to identify it:
- Meetings without exchanges.
- Taboo subjects for the team.
- Decisions that take time or without feedback from the team.
How to mitigate it:
- Explain the importance of “ constructive disagreement ” 3, 4 in creating and choosing a decision
- Implement decision-making tools like Core Protocols 2 Decider 5
Level 3 of team dysfunction: Lack of commitment
Is the team no longer clear on the objective? Improvement actions come and go without ever being completed or started. You potentially have a lack of commitment.
Origin of dysfunction:
Ambiguity about what needs to be done and ambiguity of consensus.
Lencioni believes that the desire for consensus and the need for certainty are the biggest obstacles to commitment.
- The desire for consensus because it considers that the most important thing is to have everyone’s support when it is impossible to have everyone’s agreement. The important thing is to have everyone’s opinions, that everyone has been listened to, that there are debates and conflicts.
- The need for certainty is because, most of the time, we make decisions when we have little certainty that they are correct. We are mostly in complex environments (VUCA 6 ).
A decision is better than no decision.
Ways to identify it:
- Recurring returns to decisions.
- Opportunity missed due to excessively long analyses and delays.
- Little experimentation and development of a fear of failure.
How to mitigate it:
- At the end of the meeting, list, reformulate and validate the decisions.
- Choose a deadline to make a decision.
- Get the team used to experimenting on small, low-risk areas.
Level 4 of team dysfunction: Avoidance of Responsibility
Do you find it difficult to correct a colleague because they’re always there to lend a hand? When you review your goals, do you notice that no one is assigned responsibility or that everyone is passing the buck? Perhaps you’re struggling with responsibility avoidance.
Origin of the dysfunction:
Having low standards.
This dysfunction is thought to stem from a desire to avoid uncomfortable situations or tensions by having low responsibilities or standards. But to hold people accountable, clear objectives, with the buy-in and commitment of team members, are needed upfront.
Ways to identify it:
- Shifting the burden of holding people accountable to a team lead.
- Tension between team members who have different standards.
How to mitigate it:
- Clarify what will make it possible to say that the objective has been achieved and assign a person responsible for it.
- Have a simple structure to track progress and get feedback.
Level 5 of team dysfunction: Inattention to the result
You’re hosting a retrospective; everyone talks about how they accomplished their tasks, but no one talks about a shared goal. People proudly say they achieved their assigned goal, and when you ask them how it benefited the team, they don’t know. Perhaps you’re having a problem with inattention to the outcome.
Origin of Dysfunction:
Status and Ego.
Lencioni says his observations suggest that people will initially focus on the status associated with being part of the team or on actions that advance their careers rather than the team itself. Of course, for team members to focus on collective results, they must first feel accountable for their contributions.
Ways to identify it:
- Results-oriented team members leave.
- The team is stagnating.
- Members know their personal goals but not the collective goals.
How to mitigate it:
- Communicate objectives or expected results outside the team.
References:
- 1: Ask for Help Protocol from the Core Protocols or blog post by Bloculus
- 2: Core Protocols Directory
- 3: Concept developed in “ Coaching Agile Teams” by Lyssa Adkins
- 4: Introduction to the concept in the conference paper “Coaching Agile Teams to constructively navigate conflict” by Lyssa Adkins and Kristen Blake
- 5: Decider Protocol of the Core Protocols or blog post by Bloculus about it
- 6: VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous
- In general: The five dysfunction of a team by Patrick Lencioni
Also read: Embracing Uncertainty with Monte Carlo Simulations in Agile