Alternative Missions University  

This book is required reading for all AMU Interns and Staff. You can purchase it at www.amazon.com . 

Here are a few book reviews to check out: 

1. The first dysfunction is an absence of trust among team members. Essentially, this stems from their unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group. Team members who are not genuinely open with one another about their mistakes and weaknesses make it impossible to build a foundation for trust.

2. This failure to build trust is damaging because it sets the tone for the second dysfunction: fear of conflict. Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas. Instead they resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments.3. A lack of healthy conflict is a problem because it ensures the third dysfunction of a team: lack of commitment. Without having aired their opinions in the course of passionate and open debate, team member rarely, if ever, buy in and commit to decisions, though they may feign agreement during meetings.

4. Because of this lack of real commitment and buy-in, team members develop an avoidance of accountability, the fourth dysfunction. Without committing to a clear plan of action, even the most focused and driven people often hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviors that seem counterproductive to the good of the team.

5. Failure to hold one another accountable creates an environment where the fifth dysfunction can thrive. Inattention to results occurs when team members put their individual needs (such as ego, career development, or recognition) or even the needs of their divisions above the collective goals of the team.

Members of a truly cohesive teams trust one another, engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas, commit to decisions and plans of actions, hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans and focus on the achievement of collective results.

Trust is the first dysfunction presented in the story. Great teams require members to make themselves vulnerable to one another and be able to expect that their vulnerabilities will not be used against them. It is only when members of a team are comfortable having their colleagues know their weak points that they will be able to work together making their greatest concern the job at hand, not protecting themselves.

The second dysfunction presented is inattention to results, which is the tendency of team members seeking out individual recognition and attention at the expense of the team’s collective results. It is like a coach speaking individually to members of a football team during half-time, without them knowing what everyone else was talking about, indicating that such behavior would represent a collection of individuals, not a team.

The third dysfunction identified and explained is the fear of conflict. Meetings are the most important setting for conflict. Meetings are boring because we have adopted a practice of avoiding conflict in meetings and not engaging in dialog to help expand commitment to goals and our understanding of what needs to be done.

The fourth dysfunction in the story is lack of commitment, which is prone to occur when a team has not openly and passionately explored all the options. Team member rarely buy in and commit to decisions even though they may feign agreement during a conflict-less meeting.

The final dysfunction discussed in the story is avoidance of accountability. Since the team has not truly engaged in an open dialog and has not truly committed to an action plan, it is difficult for peers to call one another on actions.

Lencioni aptly summarized the consequential impact of the dysfunctions of a team starting from the absence of trust. Because we need to appear invulnerable, we create an absence of trust. Because we fear conflict, we have artificial harmony on our team. Because we lack commitment, we encourage ambiguity. Because we avoid accountability, we ensure low standards. Because we seek personal status and ego we are inattentive to results of the team. 

Genuine teamwork is elusive, synergy of working together, and achieve more, vital in post-modern world, days of super star leader are over.

Look at 5 things that hinder teams in emerging culture. Not issues they are interrelated and one can infect and undermine the others

1. Absence of trust, stemming from lack of openness about weaknesses and failings, vulnerability and being real.
2. This lack of trust set tone for next one, “fear of conflict”. Where honest open and passionate debate about ideas does not take place. Resort to veiled politicised comments.
3. Lack of healthy conflict leads to “lack of commitment”, if people can’t air their doubts and passions and convictions they will feign commitment, but won’t be behind it as a team.
4. Lack of real commitment team develops a lack of “accountability” to call their peers on behaviour and actions counter productive to the team.
5. Lack of accountability leads to environment where people are inattentive to team results and put their needs and goals above those of the team.

So if one of these flourishes the team collapses. So putting this model positively;

1. Trust one another, being vulnerable and open, and real, and asking for help, exposed to each other. Developing vulnerability based trust, to avoid managing behaviours politically.
2. Engage in unfiltered sharing about ideas, and conflict
3. They commit to decisions and plans of actions together
4. They hold one another accountable for delivery those plans
They focus on collective and team results not those of individuals.

Notes on Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni

Strategies for Overcoming Dysfunctions

1. ABSENCE OF TRUST
   1. Identify and discuss individual strengths and weaknesses
   2. Spend considerable time in face-to-face meetings and working sessions
2. FEAR OF CONFLICT
   1. Acknowledge that conflict is required for productive meetings
   2. Establish common ground rules for engaging in conflict
   3. Understand individual team member�s natural conflict styles
3. LACK OF COMMITMENT
   1. Review commitments at the end of each meeting to ensure all teammembers are aligned
   2. Adopt a �disagree and commit� mentality�make sure all team members are committed regardless of initial disagreements
4. AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
   1. Explicitly communicate goals and standards of behavior
   2. Regularly discuss performance versus goals and standards
5. INATTENTION TO RESULTS
   1. Keep the team focused on tangible group goals
   2. Reward individuals based on team goals and collective success

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

Posted by Don Jr. on Thursday, May 25, 2006

The next book up for group study at my job is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. I heard Mr. Lencioni speak live on this topic and here are my notes about the 5 dysfunctions:

1. Absence of Trust. As a leader you should be vulnerability based. Let people know your weaknesses. Share your personal history with your folks. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know the answer.
2. Fear of Conflict. People can’t be afraid to hold back. People shouldn’t choose their battles.
3. Lack of Commitment. If people don’t weigh in, they aren’t bought in. Disagree and commit. Invite debate: the team will get stronger.
4. Peer 2 Peer Accountability. Behavioral accountability proceeds numbers. Tell your people what you are bad at.
5. Team Results are most important. Put the team above self interests.