Teams are the backbone of organizations, yet dysfunction is common. Patrick Lencioni’s model identifies five interconnected dysfunctions that sabotage team success. In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Lencioni offers a roadmap to transform chaos into cohesion. Below, we break down each dysfunction by providing diagnostic questions to identify each issue and practical tactics to resolve them.
1. Absence of Trust: The Foundation Cracks
The Problem: When team members fear vulnerability, they mask weaknesses and avoid asking for help. Trust erodes, and collaboration stalls.Diagnostic Questions:
- Do team members hesitate to admit mistakes or weaknesses?
- Are people guarded about their personal lives or professional challenges?
- Is there gossip or back-channel criticism instead of direct communication?
Tactics to Fix It:
- Personal Histories Exercise: Have everyone share 3 non-work facts (e.g., hometown, hobbies) to humanize interactions.
- Vulnerability Modeling: Leaders should openly acknowledge their own errors first (e.g., “I mishandled the client call yesterday”).
- Trust-Building Workshops: Use structured activities like “Failure Stories,” where team members discuss past mistakes and lessons learned.
2. Fear of Conflict: The Silence That Stifles
The Problem: Without trust, teams avoid disagreements, leading to superficial harmony and poor decisions.Diagnostic Questions:
- Do meetings feel polite but unproductive, with little debate?
- Do disagreements turn personal or passive-aggressive?
- Are decisions often revisited after meetings due to unresolved concerns?
Tactics to Fix It:
- Mining for Conflict: Assign someone to voice contrarian views (e.g., “What’s the biggest risk we’re ignoring here?”).
- Set Conflict Norms: Agree on rules like, “Attack ideas, not people,” or use a “red flag” system to signal unresolved tension.
- Real-Time Feedback: Use a “Temperature Check” mid-meeting: “Are we avoiding a tough conversation right now?”
3. Lack of Commitment: The Fog of Uncertainty
The Problem: Without airing opinions, people don’t buy into decisions. Ambiguity reigns, and execution falters.Diagnostic Questions:
- Do team members seem confused about priorities after meetings?
- Is there consensus in the room but resistance afterward?
- Do deadlines slip because roles or expectations are unclear?
Tactics to Fix It:
- Clarity Summaries: End meetings with, “Here’s what we’ve agreed to do, by whom, and by when.”
- Disagree and Commit: Require dissenters to say, “I disagree, but I’ll support this,” to ensure alignment.
- Deadline Dashboards: Publicly track deliverables (e.g., shared project management tools like Trello or Asana).
4. Avoidance of Accountability: The Slide Toward Mediocrity
The Problem: When commitment is low, peers avoid holding each other accountable, letting standards slip.Diagnostic Questions:
- Do low performers face no consequences?
- Do people avoid giving peers constructive feedback?
- Is there resentment toward teammates who aren’t pulling their weight?
Tactics to Fix It:
- Peer Accountability Sessions: Hold weekly check-ins where teammates review each other’s progress (e.g., “How can I help you meet your goal?”).
- Public Scoreboards: Display team metrics (e.g., sales targets, project milestones) to create visibility and peer pressure.
- Candid Feedback Frameworks: Use structured formats like “Start/Stop/Continue” (What should X start, stop, or continue doing?).
5. Inattention to Results: The Ego Trap
The Problem: Teams prioritize individual goals over collective success, leading to missed targets.Diagnostic Questions:
- Are individual goals prioritized over team goals?
- Does the team celebrate activity (e.g., “We worked hard!”) over outcomes?
- Are there competing agendas or silos within the team?
Tactics to Fix It:
- Team-First Metrics: Tie bonuses or rewards to collective outcomes (e.g., “20% of your bonus depends on team KPIs”).
- Results Rituals: Start meetings by reviewing shared goals (e.g., “How did we move the needle on client retention this week?”).
- Ego Check: Ask, “What’s best for the team?” when debating decisions to refocus on collective success.
Case Study: Diagnosing & Fixing a Dysfunctional Sales Team
A sales team at a SaaS company was missing targets. Here’s how they applied Lencioni’s model:- Trust: During a retreat, the manager admitted he’d overpromised to leadership. The team opened up about feeling unsupported.
- Conflict: They instituted a “No Silent Disagreement” rule. If someone disagreed, they had to voice it in the meeting.
- Commitment: After debates, they used a “Commitment Wall” where everyone signed their name under agreed-upon goals.
- Accountability: They held “Win/Loss Reviews” weekly to dissect successes and failures without blame. Gentle peer pressure reduced missed tasks.
- Results: They shifted KPIs from individual metrics to team goals (e.g., “Client Satisfaction Score”). Bonuses were tied to team performance, fueling collaboration.