Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, Results; these are the hallmarks of effective teams, as described by Patrick Lencioni in his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team". This presentation contains an overview of each one, as well as my take on the tools and actions leaders can take to address each one.

1. Building Better Teams Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions
Adapted from: Lencioni, P (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

2. What is “Dysfunction”?
dys·func·tion
•noun
•(ˌ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən
•The condition of having poor and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes within a group of people
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysfunction

3. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
5
4
3
2
1
Inattention to Results
Avoidance of Accountability
Lack of Commitment
Fear of Conflict
Absence of Trust
Without conflict, there can be no commitment
Without trust, there can be no conflict.
Without accountability, there are no results.
Without commitment, there can be no accountability.

4. The Absence of Trust
http://www.shellierushingtomlinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lucycharliefootball.gif

5. Teams with a lack of Trust
•Conceal their weaknesses and mistakes and manage their behaviors for effect
•Hesitate to provide feedback, ask for or offer help outside their own areas of responsibility
•Jump to conclusions about others without attempting to clarify them
•Fail to recognize other’s skills and experiences and hold grudges
•Avoid meetings and spending time together

6. Teams that Trust
•Admit mistakes, recognize weaknesses, and ask for help, and take risks
•Appreciate and use one another’s skills and experiences
•Accept questions and input about their areas of responsibility
•Give one another the benefit of the doubt
•Focus time and energy on important issues, not politics
•Offer and accept apologies without hesitation
•Look forward to meetings and other opportunities to work as a group
http://www.integrity-apps.com/stronger/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fun-workplace.jpg

7. The Leader’s Role in Building Trust
Tools
•Personal Histories
•Team Effectiveness Exercises
•Personality / Behavioral Preference Profiles
•360-degree feedback
•Experimental Team Exercises
Actions
•Lead by example
•Protect the team by accepting responsibility for team’s mistakes
•Focus on long term success
•Quickly resolve problems
http://www.jillkonrath.com/Portals/110248/images/blogs/3-sales-strategies-to-build-trust-09-20-2011.jpg

8. The Fear of Conflict
http://englishrussia.com/images/fight_in_verkhovna_rada/1.jpg

9. Teams with a Fear of Conflict
•Have boring meetings
•Create environments where back-channel politics and personal attacks thrive
•Ignore controversial topics that are critical to team success
•Fail to tap into all opinions and perspectives of team members
•Waste time and energy on posturing and interpersonal risk management
http://loopofconfidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Head-in-Sand-Afraid.jpg

10. Teams that Embrace Conflict
•Have lively, interesting meetings
•Extract and exploit the ideas of all team members
•Solve real problems quickly
•Minimize politics
•Put critical options on the table for discussion
http://www.rashanasoundessences.com/images/conflict_resolution_and_management.jpg

11. The Leader’s Role in Embracing Conflict
Tools
•Disagreement “Root Causing”
•Courage and Confidence
•Personality / Behavioral Preference Profiles
Actions
•Admit that it is ok to have conflict around ideas
•Allow conflict resolution to occur naturally as often as possible
•During conflicts, remind team that it is healthy and necessary
•Protect team members from harm, by maintaining focus on ideas
•Engage in healthy conflict, when necessary, as an example

12. The Lack of Commitment
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKjF0tTCKiU/UmDC9PZhclI/AAAAAAAABm0/fsKdsF8jL3U/s1600/the_commitment.jpg

13. Teams with a Lack of Commitment
•Create ambiguity about direction and priorities
•Watch windows of opportunity close due to excessive analysis and second-guessing
•Breed lack of confidence and fear of failure
•Revisit discussions and decisions again and again
“It is a lack of commitment, not a lack of talent, that damns you to mediocrity.”
-Roy H. Williams

14. Committed Teams
•Create clarity, direction, and priorities
•Align around common objectives
•Develop an ability to learn from mistakes
•Take advantage of opportunities before competitors
•Move forward without hesitation
•Change direction without hesitation or guilt

15. The Leader’s Role in Generating Commitment
Tools
•Consistent Messaging
•Contingency and Worst-Case Scenario Analysis
•Delegation in Low-Risk Situations
•Visual management
Actions
•Create certainty through commitment to actions
•Set clear deadlines
•Push group for closure of issues
•Adhere to accepted schedules
http://empowermarketinginsights.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/commitment.jpg

16. The Lack of Accountability
http://julettemillien.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/accountability-joke.jpg

17. Teams that Avoid Accountability
•Create resentment among team members who have high standards of performance
•Encourage mediocrity
•Miss deadlines and key deliverables
•Place burden on leaders to be the sole source of discipline
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbqtrQRzW10/T--rLbmzi5I/AAAAAAAAGLA/nlis2znipxU/s1600/ID-10046198.jpg

18. Accountable Teams
•Ensure that poor performers feel pressure to improve
•Identify potential problems quickly by questioning approaches without hesitation
•Establish respect among team members who are held to the same high standards
•Avoid excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective action
http://api.ning.com/files/D7OtuoxqP97ZvxJ06cDMOkt74wkL9fUd8pQPPBnzu0BE4fPEjfX5T*eGWUrz-tt4MDtM*F5HLG6Vt3cN63wwQ*h8dWZQO2XT/leadershipandaccountability.jpg

19. The Leader’s Role in Generating Accountability
Tools
•Public goals and standards
•Simple and regular progress reviews
•Team-based recognition
Actions
•Encourage and allow team to serve as the first and primary accountability mechanism
•Serve as the ultimate arbiter of discipline when the team fails
http://www.elliottcaras.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tshirt1.jpg

20. Inattention to Results
http://cdn.arkarthick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/productivity-at-work-tips-social-media-distractions.jpg

21. Teams without a Focus on Results
•Stagnate and fail to grow
•Rarely defeat competitors
•Lose achievement oriented employees
•Encourage team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals
•Are easily distracted
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYHOG6z8n_wWdxW1_2LXBdWNz2-st00c81xtOaQpM1gQpOSBAN7w

22. Teams that Focus on Results
•Retain achievement oriented employees
•Minimize individualistic behavior
•Enjoy success and suffer failure acutely
•Benefit from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the team
•Avoid distractions

23. The Leader’s Role in Focusing on Results
Tools
•Public Declaration of Results
•Results-based Rewards
Actions
•Set the tone for a focus on results by focusing on results
•Must be selfless and objective
http://www.flightschooltosuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/focus_results.jpg

24. You’ve built a better team when...
…team members trust each other enough
…to engage in conflict over ideas
…and hold each other accountable
…for achieving collective results

25. •Contingency/Worst-Case Scenario Analysis
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario_planning
•Delegation in Low-Risk Situations
•3 types of Leadership (lead the way)
•Visual management
•http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=220
•Public goals, standards, and declaration of results
•http://www.information- management.com/issues/20051101/1040487-1.html
•Simple and regular progress reviews
•http://www.effectivemeetings.com/
•Team-based recognition
•http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/msloc/knowledge-lens/stories/2011/team-based- rewards.html
Tools for Leaders
•Personal History Exercise
•http://www.slideshare.net/JoelWenger1/leadership-tools-personal-histories-20150615
•Team Effectiveness Exercises
•Personality/Behavioral Profiles
•http://www.enneagramworldwide.com/
•360-degree feedback
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360- degree_feedback
•Team Exercises
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropes_course
•Disagreement “Root Causing”
•http://www.isixsigma.com/tools- templates/cause-effect/final-solution-root- cause-analysis-template/
•Consistent Messaging
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_communication

26. http://www.linkedin.com/in/jwenger/
http://www.twitter.com/joelwenger
Joel Wenger
Consulting Manager, Financial Blogger
Trusted Advisor