The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team...
A Leadership Fable

| Author: Patrick Lencioni in 2002 |

What’s it all about?
Does your team ‘openly’ disclose their opinions? Are your meetings exciting and productive where people will confront each other, reaching quick decisions? Are personal sacrifices made for the better of the team? If these questions got you thinking, then this book may help you with some solutions.

In this book, ‘The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team’, Patrick Lencioni created an iconic business fable, that will stand the test of time. A simple triangle visual breaks down what he sees as the top 5 reasons on why teams struggle, and how they link together. A very easy read, and the story keeps you engaged.

Starting from the bottom of the model, he focuses on 5 main areas: Absence of Trust, Fear of Conflict, Lack of Commitment, Avoidance of Accountability, Inattention to Results.

Basically, it breaks down office politics and exposes the difference between a team that appears to get along and one that is open and does not have emotional waste.

Favorite Quote
‘Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.’

Biggest takeaway
Really understanding who your ‘A’ team is, your first team. With top management groups I have asked these questions and have received raised eyebrows on more than one occasion. A department manager cannot make their ‘first team’ their department. The management team must come first. The highest-level group of an organization must all be on board that this is the main team, balancing all the needs of the organization and making decisions based on that. It becomes off balanced when decisions are driven by what is best for the individual department.

Reviewed by: Trevor Blondeel

Mindfulness Manufacturing

Our show is about providing listeners with real stories that come from a place of experience, transparency, and authenticity. Most importantly it’s about what we learn from these stories and applying Mindfulness in our everyday work and personal lives.
Our intention is to create an environment where people can learn through open honest discussions on how we apply Mindfulness. Although our experiences and stories come from time in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.

When a mistake occurs on the plant floor, your mind might jump to one question: who caused this issue, and should I write them up for their mistake? But there’s a more productive approach you could be taking—and in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Dr. Jake Mazulewicz breaks it all down!

With a background as a firefighter, EMT, and military paratrooper, Jake knows the challenges of high-hazard industries, and works with organizations to reduce errors and create safer, more reliable workplace environments. In this episode, Jake shares why you can’t procedularize everything, including the way you handle errors and accidents, and offers great insights and stories about how to use connection and curiosity to improve safety, address errors, and strengthen your organization.

3:35 – Procedures and policies are the work that is imagined, and on the floor is how the work actually gets done

4:19 – The work as-done is almost always radically different than the work as-imagined

5:20 – Even when you have standards and people show up wanting to do a good job, you can still see issues that need to be addressed

6:44 – There will always be areas that absolutely need to have procedures in place

8:02 – There are also adaptive jobs, which leans less into procedures and more intro troubleshooting and tacit human knowledge

10:56 – In an ideal environment, both mechanistic and adaptive models are used and respected and needed

12:11 – There are four levels, ranging from strict procedurals to looser guidelines that show what to do, but not how to do it

15:36 – Tacit knowledge gets shared through conversations

16:22 – A way to share important information is to have frontline experts record videos sharing their insights to problems, especially those that are not covered in procedures

19:44 – Through conversation and connection, more knowledge is shared

21:58 – Debriefing also plays a central role

23:45 – If you have strong discipline, you’ll find more freedom

25:31 – In most situations, errors are signals, not defects

27:07 – When an error occurs, be curious and find the deeper cause of the problem

Connect with Jake Mazulewicz

Find him on Linkedin

Visit his website