“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”
Though The Five Dysfunctions of a Team was written for people working and leading teams within a large organization, the advice in this book is perfect for those of us who are building teams at our small businesses as we grow into larger businesses.
The author of the book, Patrick Lencioni, has learned that genuine teamwork is elusive because many organizations fall victim to five natural, but ultimately dangerous, pitfalls or dysfunctions. Instead of getting into those, I’m going to instead share Pat’s list of how members of a functional team behave:
- They trust one another.
- They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.
- They commit to decisions and plans of action.
- They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans.
- They focus on the achievement of collective results.
Trust
Pat defines trust as the confidence among team members that their peers’ intentions are good. If there is full trust among all team members, they will focus their energy and attention on their jobs (rather than political maneuvering).
As you build your company, you can encourage trust by demonstrating vulnerability first and creating an environment that doesn’t punish vulnerability.
Conflict
Ideological conflict, or conflict that is limited to concepts and ideas, results in the best possible solution in the shortest period of time. It’s OK if that conflict is passionate, emotional and even frustrating.
As you build your company, let your team engage in conflict and allow them to resolve the conflict naturally. You should also continually set an example of appropriate conflict behavior.
Commitment
Commitment refers to both buy-in and clarity around direction and priorities. A team that is committed to a decision understands the priorities, embraces common objectives, and takes advantage of opportunities before competitors do.
As you build your company, be comfortable with the idea that the decision could be a wrong one. Push your team for closure around issues, and make sure the team sticks to its schedule.
Accountability
A functional team is not afraid to point out performance or behaviors of other team members that might hurt the team. When team members hold each other accountable, they demonstrate respect and high expectations for each other’s work.
As you build your company, encourage your team members to build accountability among themselves, rather than you imposing it on them.
Results
Results are really about outcome-based performance, which drives profits. To perform well and achieve great results, your team needs to be focused on specific objectives and clearly defined outcomes.
As you build your company, set the tone for results. Be selfless, objective, and reward and recognize only those team members who make real contributions to the achievement of the team’s goal.
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