Brief overview of the 5 dysfunctions of teams and some basic ideas on what to do about each of them.

1. 5 Dysfunctions of a team
How to foster high performing teams

2. What are the 5 dysfunctions of a team?
Absence of ...
Fear of ...
Lack of ...
Avoidance of ...
Inattention to ...

4. Absence of Trust
Symptoms
● Hold grudges against each other
● Don't ask for help, or don't give feedback of
any kind
● Hide their mistakes or weaknesses
● Find ways to avoid spending time together
Solution options
● Leader demonstrates vulnerability
● Instilling Trust by being trusting
● Encourage team to get to know each other

6. Fear of Conflict
Symptoms
● Everyone agreeing with everyone else, or
avoiding the real issues during meetings.
● Certain team members observe and let others
do all the talking
● Gossip about each other
● Work around team / relationship issues
● Avoid tough issues
● Corridor conversations or decisions
Solution options
● Explain why debate is valuable
● Debate topics. Not consensus
● People need to feel they have been heard
● Encourage team to propose alternatives
● Utilise debating or agile retrospective formats
● Target key issues and facilitate discussion

8. Lack of Commitment
Symptoms
● Team members don't support decisions made
by the team or organization
● Analysis paralysis - miss opportunities,
because team members spend too much time
analyzing data and options
● Go over discussions again and again without
taking firm action
● Absenteeism
Solution options
● Gain clarity - Clearly articulate the goal
(perhaps including success criteria) and it’s
value to the organisation and/or team
● Articulate the level of delegation in use
● Disagree and commit

10. Avoidance of Accountability
Symptoms
● Missed deadlines and key deliverables
● Resent each other for having different standards of
performance
● Rely on the team leader to call out mistakes, give
feedback, or manage performance
● Avoid direct conversations about performance and
behavior with colleagues, opting instead to highlight
issues to the team leader directly
● Allow the team to fail without making a determined
effort to avoid this
● Apathy towards the team’s goals and performance
Solution options
● Understand why accountability is avoided
● Define roles & responsibilities and/or team
charter
● Ensure everyone has everything they need to
complete their work
● Positive reinforcement
● Manage non-performers

12. Inattention to Results
Symptoms
● People focus on their own goals and progress
instead of those of the team.
● People don't pull together to succeed the
prefer to work alone
● You regularly lose out to or follow the
competition
● Political games / blame culture
● "Achievement-oriented" team members leave
Solution options
● Restructure goals to be team centric rather
than only individual
● Break goals down to be complimentary
● Define a great month or quarter

13. All views expressed in this presentation
are my own and do not represent the
opinions of any organisation with which
I have been, am now or will be affiliated.

14. https://www.linkedin.com/in/damienoconnor/
https://www.slideshare.net/damieno11