Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment.
Without conflict, it is difficult for team members to commit to decisions,
creating an environment where ambiguity prevails. Lack of direction
and commitment can make employees…particularly star
employees…disgruntled.
Often times a lack of commitment is caused by the desire for
consensus and the need for clarity. It is important for teams to be able to
find ways to achieve buy-in, even when complete agreement is not
possible. Great teams make sure all the opinions are heard and then
reach a decision based on the best solution...
Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust.
Essentially, trust within a team is the confidence among team members that
their peers’ intentions are good.
Without a certain comfort level among team members, a foundation of trust
is next to impossible. An absence of trust occurs when team members
are reluctant to be vulnerable with one another and are unwilling
to admit their mistakes, weaknesses, or needs for help.
Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict.
Teams that are lacking on trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered,
passionate debate about key issues, causing situations where
team conflict can easily
turn into veiled discussions and back-channel comments. In a
work setting where team members do not openly air their
opinions, inferior decisions are the result.
Unfortunately, conflict is considered taboo in many situations,
especially at work.
And, the higher up you go along the management chain, the more you
witness individuals spending inordinate amounts of time and energy trying
to avoid the kind of passionate debates that are essential to any
successful team.
Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results.
Team members naturally tend development, recognition, etc.) ahead of the
collective goals of the team when individuals aren’t held accountable. If a
team has lost sight of the need for achievement, the business ultimately
suffers.
The only way to conquer this dysfunction is to make desired results clear
and reward those behaviors and actions that contribute to those results.
Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability.
When teams don’t commit to a clear plan of action, even the most focused
and driven individuals hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviors
that may seem
counterproductive to the overall good of the team. Team members who
are close may
hesitate holding one another accountable for fear it could
jeopardize their relationships.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
by Patrick Lencioni
Maura Larkins' note:
I've always been astounded when
teachers refused to admit their mistakes
in the classroom. What could be worse
than knowingly leaving students with false
information? Some teachers are afraid of
being exposed as incompetent, and as a
result, they perform worse than they
otherwise would. For heaven's sake, even
geniuses make mistakes. A confident
teacher simply says, "Oh, that was wrong.
Let me give you the correct information."
This same thing happens when teachers
are making decisions about how the
school will be run.
Some teams fail because
they don't allow the
wisdom of crowds to be
heard
Monday, December 29, 2008
"Why Social Media and
Wisdom of Crowds Don't Mix"
A couple of months ago I was
watching a short lecture by
James Surowiecki, the man
who coined the term "Wisdom
of Crowds". Two concepts
caught my attention: "Under
the right conditions, groups
can be remarkably intelligent"
and "Groups are only smart
when the people in them are
as independent as possible."
I heard a coin drop... what I
realized is that "Social voting"
and "Wisdom of Crowds" just
don't naturally mix!
In a way, it makes perfect
sense. If we all vote as a
group, we actually vote as a
single person and the wisdom
is gone with the crowd.
San Diego Education
Report
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