Characteristics of a Dysfunctional Team
In his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," business guru Patrick M. Lencioni describes the following interrelated issues that can negatively impact the performance of a team:
Absence of trust — Highly effective teams are characterized by honest and open communication. If the members of the team do not trust each other, then they will not be totally honest with each other.
Fear of conflict — As counter-intuitive as it may seem, highly effective teams are also characterized by respectful conflict. When teams fear conflict, they miss out on the healthy debates necessary to arrive at better decisions.
Lack of commitment — Highly effective teams have the ability (and maturity) to commit to a decision, even if individual members did not agree with the decision when it was made. Leadership credibility suffers in an organization when there is a lack of commitment behind decisions.
Avoidance of accountability — Another critical aspect of highly effective teams is clear accountability, where leadership and team members are willing to hold each other accountable. Without clear accountability, resentments can arise due to differing standards of performance and mediocrity is encouraged.
Inattention to results — Highly effective teams are focused on achieving results at the team level rather than individually. In such a team, the sum is greater than the constituent parts. Clear metrics and clarity around team goals is essential to avoid inattention to results.
Source: Patrick Lencioni, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team."
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