FOR LEADERS, MANAGERS, AND FACILITATORS
Copyright © 2005 by Patrick Lencioni. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lencioni, Patrick, 1965-
Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team : a field guide for leaders, managers, and facilitators / Patrick Lencioni.— 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7879-7637-7 (alk. paper)
1. Teams in the workplace. I. Title.
HD66.L457 2005
658.4’022-dc22
2004025529
This book is dedicated to our Table Group clients—who make all of this possible and whom we appreciate more than we can say
A year after The Five Dysfunctions of a Team was published, I received the welcome news that sales figures had exceeded initial expectations. That was good. But I had been warned that those numbers might begin to tail off in year two, and so, like most authors, I just hoped they wouldn’t drop too drastically.
Well, you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to learn that instead of decreasing, sales of the book actually increased during the next twelve months. That was great.
But something else happened that I hadn’t exactly expected; inquiries to my consulting firm, The Table Group, grew faster than we could have imagined, with readers calling to find out how they could better understand and implement the concepts in the book.
As wonderful as that may sound, it quickly became apparent to us that we could not help even a fraction of the readers who called us, and as a result, some of them might not feel comfortable diving into the process of improving their teams without a little more guidance. That was not so good, and therein lies the inspiration for this field guide.
The purpose of this little book is simple: to provide managers, team leaders, consultants, and other practitioners with a practical tool for helping implement the concepts in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
As with my other books, I decided to keep this one relatively short because time is the most precious commodity for most leaders, and learning to build a team, as important as it is, need not be exceedingly time-consuming or complicated. I’ve also tried to write and organize it in a way that will make it both readable on its own and easily accessible as a reference tool.
I sincerely hope that it is helpful to you and your team. Good luck!
PATRICK LENCIONI, Lafayette, California, January 2005
Building an effective, cohesive team is extremely hard. But it’s also simple.
What I mean is that teamwork doesn’t require great intellectual insights or masterful tactics. More than anything else, it comes down to courage and persistence.
And so, if you’re committed to making your team a healthy one, and you can get the rest of the team to share your commitment, you’re probably going to make it. And just in case you’re not sure this will be worth the time and effort—and risk—let me make a case for going forward.
I honestly believe that in this day and age of informational ubiquity and nanosecond change, teamwork remains the one sustainable competitive advantage that has been largely untapped. In the course of my career as a consultant to executives and their teams, I can say confidently that teamwork is almost always lacking within organizations that fail, and often present within those that succeed.
So why don’t we hear more about the competitive importance of teamwork from business scholars and journalists? And why do so many leaders focus most of their time on other topics like finance, strategy, technology, and marketing?
First, because teamwork is hard to measure. Why? Because it impacts the outcome of an organization in such comprehensive and invasive ways that it’s virtually impossible to isolate it as a single variable. Many executives prefer solutions that are more easily measurable and verifiable, and so they look elsewhere for their competitive advantages.
But even if the impact of teamwork were more easily measurable, executives probably would still look elsewhere. Why? Because teamwork is extremely hard to achieve. It can’t be bought, and it can’t be attained by hiring an intellectual giant from the world’s best business school. It requires levels of courage and discipline—and emotional energy—that even the most driven executives don’t always possess.
As difficult as teamwork is to measure and achieve, its power cannot be denied. When people come together and set aside their individual needs for the good of the whole, they can accomplish what might have looked impossible on paper. They do this by eliminating the politics and confusion that plague most organizations. As a result, they get more done in less time and with less cost. I think that’s worth a lot of effort.
One more thing is worth mentioning. When it comes to helping people find fulfillment in their work, there is nothing more important than teamwork. It gives people a sense of connection and belonging, which ultimately makes them better parents, siblings, friends, and neighbors. And so building better teams at work can—and usually does—have an impact that goes far beyond the walls of your office or cubicle.
So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started.
As difficult as teamwork can be to achieve, it is not complicated. And so, if I can’t describe it in a page or two, then I’ve probably made it too complex. Here goes.
The true measure of a team is that it accomplishes the results that it sets out to achieve. To do that on a consistent, ongoing basis, a team must overcome the five dysfunctions listed here by embodying the behaviors described for each one.
Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust: Members of great teams trust one another on a fundamental, emotional level, and they are comfortable being vulnerable with each other about their weaknesses, mistakes, fears, and behaviors. They get to a point where they can be completely open with one another, without filters. This is essential because ... Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict: ... teams that trust one another are not afraid to engage in passionate dialogue around issues and decisions that are key to the organization’s success. They do not hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question one another, all in the spirit of finding the best answers, discovering the truth, and making great decisions. This is important because ... Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment... teams that engage in unfiltered conflict are able to achieve genuine buy-in around important decisions, even when various members of the team initially disagree. That’s because they ensure that all opinions and ideas are put on the table and considered, giving confidence to team members that no stone has been left unturned. This is critical because ... Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability: ... teams that commit to decisions and standards of performance do not hesitate to hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions and standards. What is more, they don’t rely on the team leader as the primary source of accountability, they go directly to their peers. This matters because ... Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results: ... teams that trust one another, engage in conflict, commit to decisions, and hold one another accountable are very likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus almost exclusively on what is best for the team. They do not give in to the temptation to place their departments, career aspirations, or ego-driven status ahead of the collective results that define team success.That’s it.
Before embarking on a team-building effort, your team needs to answer two big questions:
Sometimes a team improvement effort is doomed from the start because the group going through it isn’t really a team at all, at least not in the true sense of the word. You see, a team is a relatively small number of people (anywhere from three to twelve) that shares common goals as well as the rewards and responsibilities for achieving them. Team members readily set aside their individual or personal needs for the greater good of the group.
If your “team” doesn’t meet these criteria, you might want to consider whether you have a smaller subset of the group that is a real team. Or maybe the group is simply a collection of people who report to the same manager, but with relatively little interdependence and mutual accountability (that is, not a team).
And remember, it’s okay to decide that your group isn’t a team. In a world where teamwork is rarer than we might think, plenty of non-teams succeed. In fact, if your group is not meant to be a team, it’s far better to be clear about that than to waste time and energy pretending you’re something you’re not. Because that only creates false expectations, which leads to frustration and resentment.
Having said all that (in question #1), let me be very clear: the advantages of being a true team are enormous. But they can’t be achieved without a willingness to invest considerable time and emotional energy in the process. Unfortunately, many teams aren’t prepared for this, and try to take shortcuts and half measures. Not only does this prevent them from making progress, it can actually lead to a decrease in the team’s performance.
It’s important that you go into this process with eyes wide open, and with no illusions about what is required. That doesn’t mean becoming a team takes years, or that it will be unpleasant. In fact, most teams can make significant progress in weeks or months, and find the process itself to be one of the most rewarding parts of their professional lives. If they do it right. Let’s talk about how to do just that.