Tuesday, February 20, 2007

More on the Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The bold and italicized words are additional thoughts to my BVC Opinion. I would love to hear yours.


· Absence of Trust

o Teams are built from clarity and trust

o Being vulnerable with each other builds trust

o Without real trust we are stuck with invulnerability

Members of great teams trust each other on a fundamental, emotional level. They get to a point where they can be completely open with one another, without filters.

· Fear of Conflict

o Many of us fear or avoid conflict, but dealing with conflict constructively (once trust is built) can be a good thing

o So, disagree, challenge, and question one another

o Without this kind of atmosphere and approach, we are stuck with artificial harmony

Teams that trust one another do not hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question one another all in the spirit of finding the best answers and making great decisions.

· Lack of Commitment

o We are more likely to commit to something if we have had our “say” on the issues, made suggestions, and raised concerns, even if we have raised conflict too

o Unfiltered conflict drives buy-in even without consensus

o Without commitment we have ambiguity

Teams tht engage in unfiltered conflict are able to achieve genuine buy-in around important decisions, even when some members initially disagree. That's because they ensure that all opinions are considered, giving confidence to team memers that no stone has been left unturned.

· Avoidance of Accountability

o Commit to decisions and hold one another accountable

o A team is a team, because it works together toward common goals

o Without trust, conflict and real commitment we often set our standards too low

Teams that commit to decisions and standards of performance hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions and standards. And they do't rely on the Team Leader as the primary source of accountability; they go directly to their peers.

· Inattention to Results

o Even though teams are often made up of people from different functions or functional leaders, the team’s results (their collective results) must come before individual results or agendas

o Think of high performing teams you have been on or seen and also think of teams with members like ex-49er, ex-Eagle, current Dallas Cowboy, Terrell Owens or some other over paid professional @$$&0/3’s. Do words like status and ego come to mind?

Teams that trust one another, engage in conflict, commit to decisions, and hold one another accountable focus on what's best for the team and achieve results.

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