Using 5 Dysfunctions Of A Team As A Frame Of Reference
For anyone looking to truly diagnose what's going on in their organization, I always refer back to Patrick Lencioni's famous "5 Dysfunctions of a Team".
Everyone wants PERFORMANCE from their team, but few want to work on the foundation. It's simple in theory, but hard in practice:
SAFETY: If team members are afraid to be criticized, take risks, or lose their jobs, then there is no hope. People are out for themselves and their own ego. To protect their reputation, members may actively avoid projects or team collaboration. This is Level 1.
TRUST: The next level is the team members knowing their roles and being able to trust each other. If I hand off something to a teammate, I know what I am going to get back. The team starts to enjoy working together. People start sacrificing their ego for the team. This is Level 2.
ACCOUNTABILITY: This is a more difficult level. The team not only knows how to work together, but also starts to feel a sense of ownership. A sense of ownership drives self-directed improvement, measurement, and all sorts of other good things. This is Level 3.
PERFORMANCE: The final level is what everyone wants but few people realize how. The only answer is to go through the journey here.
What level is your team at?
