The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable Reviews

• 
  Neil

  I've been in corporate America for just under 4 years now. In my time, I've never really bought into the majority of management strategies I've seen because well, they blatantly do not work; and if they do, its at an absurd cost of employee retention, dissatisfaction and needless overwork.
  
  Passive aggressiveness, no accountability, scared of conflict... I see it too often, and I'm constantly frustrated by it. And just when I thought I was alone, I read this book and was completely blown away. Everything I've felt, is here, written down in this book. Its quite extraordinary. I feel a bit like Jerry Mcguire did after writing his 'Mission Statement.' I want to buy copies of this book and put it in the mailboxes of management across corporate America. Unfortunately, one thing I've learned in life is you can't force people to change, they have to be willing and accepting to move forward on there own... or be forced by a higher hand. I can't force others who don't see it themselves, and as the low man on the totem pole, its a hard to play the upper hand. But dammit, at least I'll go down swinging, knowing I'm not alone.
• 
  Daniel Silvert

  Five Dysfunctions of a Team
  As a consultant who has worked with hundreds of teams in organizations large and small, I can attest that model outlined in “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is both accurate in it’s root diagnosis of team dysfunctionalism, and is as pervasive as human nature itself. As with all of Lencioni’s books, he opens with a fable and concludes with the model that is the basis for the story’s solution. In the fable, a new CEO is confronted with a dysfunctional executive team and pressure from the board to execute a quick turn around. As she feels out how the current culture impacts collaboration, idea generation, and execution, the CEO gradually works through each stage of the Five Dysfunctions model to re-position the company for success.
  The model in pyramid form:
  
  Lack of trust: In this bottom stage, team members are hesitant to open up about their fears or insecurities about a project.
  
  Fear of Conflict: Fearing retribution or political consequences, team members avoid rigorous debate over the issues and decisions that matter most. This can be reinforced by local legends: “The last time somebody challenged the boss’s idea, he wasn’t around for long afterwards.” Healthy, constructive conflict – or candor – is key to surfacing the best ideas. Fear of conflict snuffs out the creative process.
  
  Lack of Commitment: Lack of vigorous debate does not prevent decisions from being made. Low team involvement in how decisions are shaped and carried out leads to weak buy- in.
  
  Avoidance of Accountability: When commitment is low, excuses are readily available when results are not achieved. “We all knew this was un-realistic to begin with, now you’re going to hold us accountable?”
  
  Inattention to Results: At this pinnacle stage, team members are investing valuable time and energy in the politics of self-protection. Obsessive email trails are stored for easy retrieval, stories are honed that explain where the break down occurred and by whom. It’s every ‘team’ member for him or herself. The collective concept is crushed.
  
  In highly functional teams the pyramid, inverted, is just as relevant: High levels of trust leads to healthy, constructive candor in the service of unearthing the best ideas. Fully engaged team members feel high levels of commitment, because while their particular idea may not have won, they’re perspective was heard and respected. This feeds a focus on individual and collective accountability to achieve the goals agreed upon, which requires near total focus upon delivering results.
  
  Lencioni captures the human essence of teamwork and connects the dots from trust to profit. Highly recommended.
  
• 
  Jacob

  Bear with me. I am highly skeptical of models as methods versus tools (I will explain later) and of corporate literature. With that bias, this book would have been lucky to get three stars from me. Please keep that in mind.
  
  What I mean by a model as a method versus a tool, is that when a model is presented to help people try and understand how something functions I have no problem with it. Meyers-Briggs personality test is a great example. Fun to take and compare with people and get an idea of where they come from. But if you are a borderline on any of the 4 pairs then depending on your mood you can easily have 2 even 4 different likely personality types. And there are 7 billion people in the world and only 16 types--they don't all fit in those 16 categories. When someone takes a model and tries to impose it on the world and say this is the way things are, then I balk.
  
  Regarding corporate literature in general, I won't say that it is useless, because it certainly isn't, but it has only a fractional effect as compared to actually experiencing working in a good team or for a good leader. It can be helpful but pales beside a good leader pulling you aside to help you.
  
  The "fable" itself? Actually not that bad for a teamwork book. The whole thing is stilted because it is wrapped around an agenda but on the good side it is short, easy to read, and decently written. And I honestly can't say the five points are wrong--I think they are all valid.
  
  There are much worse teamwork or leadership books out there. If you have to read one, or are genuinely interested in this genre then pick it up. Otherwise I wouldn't use your valuable time. Two stars.
• 
  Marleigh

  First line: "Only one person thought Kathryn was the right choice to become CEO of DecisionTech, Inc.
  
  Summary: Lencioni identifies five problems with executive teams, which he presents through a story (fable) and then analyzes.
  
  Spoilers! In as much as reference books can have spoilers.
  
  The 5 dysfunctions are:
  1. Absence of trust. Where trust is comfort with showing vulnerability and admitting mistakes to teammates.
  2. Fear of conflict. Teams need to be able to have passionate debate and walk away with no collateral damage. Lencioni describes a “false harmony” that is a sign of this.
  3. Lack of commitment. Phoning it in rather than buying into the project. The key here is while not everyone gets their way, they should all be heard and their opinions considered and valued.
  4. Avoidance of accountability. Here, they’re talking about teammates being able to call each other on poor performance, rather than having all accountability done by the team leader.
  5. Inattention to results. In particular, putting personal goals above team goals.
  
  They seems like fine goals. I'm a little unclear how to achieve them, despite the suggestions in the back. I also feel like point 2 could easily be misconstrued. Permission to have passionate debate does not mean permission to be an asshole. Actually, I think Lencioni usually uses the term "argument," while I prefer "debate" because I think it frames the issue in a more civil way.
  
  Anyway, it had some interesting thoughts, and it certainly was a quick read. The story was lousy for fiction, though great for a reference book, and it did illustrate the problems.
• 
  Amanda NEVER MANDY

  This is another one of my “have to” and not “want to” reads. I would never even consider reading one of these types of books for fun, they are not my style at all. The information they contain is usually common sense stuff that people are aware of but unwilling or unable to incorporate into their day-to-day work lives. Most jobs are group based versus individual and even if you are in the mindset to make whatever changes that books like this deem necessary, it doesn’t mean everyone else you work with is.
  
  Thankfully the author makes dry material into something tolerable by sharing his message in a story format and doesn’t bog the book down with graphs, sample work sheets and quizzes. It’s pretty basic and to the point with identifying problems and offering solutions. The length was acceptable as well as the writing style so I would place it a little higher on my Dull Jane shelf. I suppose if I had to recommend one of these things I would this one over quite a few others, especially if you wanted to know why your team sucked and how you could improve it.
• 
  JJ Khodadadi

  کتاب خوبی بود ولی نمیدونم چرا همش به این فکر می افتادم که تقریبا هیچکدوم از این نکات رو نمیشه توی سازمان های دولتی اجرایی کرد!! :))
• 
  محمد الملا

  Simply, this book is "Must read books" list, I liked the story way to write the book, and the simple make Sense model of the five dysfunctions of teams
  
  I already recommended this books to my friends, it's must read for every one
  
  I will recommend that the reader should be ware of "Tuckman's stages of group development" which will put this book in the right context
• 
  jack

  forced to read this one for work. did some awful group work with it also. really not that helpful in a bullshit retail situation.
• 
  Matthew Morrison

  Was chosen for a work thing, then we all realized that it didn't apply to our group, because we actually aren't dysfunctional at all, so we scrapped our plan to discuss it and went skiing instead!
  That being said, I did learn some very valuable lessons...ok, I didn't...but I did read it, at least. For the good of the team.
• 
  Nikki

  This is a one of the best business novels out there. I love the idea of introducing concepts through a storyline of a fictional organization. The only thing better would be if it were based on actual events that was told in story form.
  
  Kathryn is a CEO who takes over a company struggling with its market share and profit. She has the courage to attack the difficult issues rarely losing her composure and delivers criticism in a way that it mostly encourages discussion and positive conflict. I cannot say I have come across any managers in corporate America who are effective as Kathryn. However, I am convinced she must exist amongst us in the real world. On the other hand I find the dysfunctions described in this short novel to be on point and rampant it manufacturing facilities and offices across the country. As difficult as it is to admit, I saw myself a couple of times in some of the characters. I still think it would be a tall order to effectively change the dynamics of work teams across this great country. We are a culture based on competition and individual success and it will be quite challenging to change that direction. Challenging but not impossible.
  
  I
• 
  C

  This identifies the causes of dysfunction in a team, and tells how to avoid them. It's astute, applicable guidance on improving a team's performance by improving behavior. The first part is a fable, and the second part is an explanation of the concepts.
  
  It starts by saying that teamwork, more than products, tech, etc., make a company successful. Teamwork disintegrates if even one of the 5 dysfunctions is present. Teams succeed because they're exceedingly human. By acknowledging imperfections, they overcome natural tendencies toward dysfunctions.
  
  I've heard this book mentioned several times over the years. I decided to finally read it after it was referenced in
  Traction.
  
  Notes
  5 Dysfunctions
  Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust
  A team can't achieve results unless the members trust each other. Trust requires being vulnerable with each other (here, trust doesn't refer to being able to predict what a teammate will do, as in, "I trust Tom will do this."). Team members who aren't genuinely open about mistakes and weaknesses makes it impossible to build a foundation for trust. Healthy debate is a sign of trust.
  
  Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict
  Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas. Instead, they resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments. Open, constructive, ideological conflict is critical. What makes meetings boring is that they don't have conflict (movies are interesting because they have conflict, and so are meetings).
  
  Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment
  Without having aired opinions in debate, team members rarely buy in and commit to decisions, though they may feign agreement in meetings. People must weigh in before they can buy in, but it's OK to disagree and still commit.
  
  Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability
  Without committing to clear plan of action, even most focused and driven people often hesitate to call their peers on behaviors and actions that are counterproductive to good of team. People need to have bought into collective goals to hold each other accountable. When holding people accountable, assume they have the team's best interests in mind and are trying to be helpful, but still push them.
  
  Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results
  Occurs when team members put individual needs (ego, career development, recognition) or divisions above collective goals of team. Must have clear, specific, actionable goals, and track fairly frequently (e.g., monthly). Everyone is responsible for meeting collective goals.
  
  Viewed positively (opposites of dysfunctions)
  1. Trust.
  2. Engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.
  3. Commit to decisions and plans of actions.
  4. Hold one another accountable for delivering against plans.
  5. Focus on achievement of collective results.
  
  How to avoid dysfunctions
  Dysfunction 1: Build trust by sharing personality profiles (Myers Briggs), 360 degree feedback.
  
  Dysfunction 2: Acknowledge conflict can be productive. Remind each other when conflict arises. Personality profiles tell how people handle conflict.
  
  Dysfunction 3: Set deadlines for decisions. Use contingency and worst case analysis to overcome fear of wrong decision.
  
  Dysfunction 4: Publish goals and standards. Have regular progress reviews and feedback. Have rewards at team level, not individual.
  
  Dysfunction 5: Make results clear and public, and reward only those behaviors and actions that contribute to those results. Tie rewards, especially compensation, to team results.
• 
  Tania Lukyniuk

  Skeptical business book reader, I had zero expectations from this book. I only took it because it was less than 150 pages and was recommended by two people whose opinion I respected.
  
  I am happy to admit that I was wrong. The book is written as a story of new leader coming to an IT company with poorly acting management team. The way she managed her new team members - very different, often contradicting and conflicting with each other or working in their silos - is great learning process on effective team building.
  
  Grandly recommended.
• 
  Oceana

  Very fun way of explaining his theory of the aspects of a dysfunctional team and how to work on correcting them. Major teamwork piece. Very informative and useful to bring into my new job!
• 
  Robert Chapman

  I read this book 10 years ago when it was first released. Back then I was at a point in my career where the lessons of this book were not really applicable to my circumstances. I decided to give it another read as I remembered it to be a good book and since its release it has also gained a reputation as one of the better books on the topics of Leadership and Organizational Development.
  
  The book tells a story to illustrate the dysfunctions using the setting of an executive team in a fictitious company. This resonated with me as I am now part of an executive team of similar makeup. The five dysfunctions are not rocket science and the book does not propose them to be such. The real value of the book comes in walking through each dysfunction and understanding what the negative impacts of each are and on the flipside the benefits which curing each can bring.
  
  No company or team is perfect; there will always be dysfunction to some level. This book offers a good yardstick against which a team can measure itself and set goals for improvement.
• 
  Jamie

  I'm so sad that this is the first book I've finished in 2012. It was chosen for a book study at school. It's an easy read, and has some very good points and good information for team building. But, books like this are just annoying to me. I'm not a fan of fables. It feels condescending. They just aren't my thing.
  
  Kathryn takes over as CEO of a software company and works to rebuild the leadership team of vice-presidents. She ruffles feathers, but ultimately prevails in building a cohesive, goal-oriented team by focusing the team on the five main dysfunctions that are keeping the company from realizing its potential.
  
  But I think the most annoying detail is that the company is located in the Silicon Valley, specifically Half Moon Bay. Ummm...Half Moon Bay is a tiny coastal farming community and is south of the Bay area, closer to Santa Cruz. Bad author! LOL
• 
  Sarina

  Certainly a guide most of us are in dire need of or everyone should at least read once. It's necessary for teams or groups not just in the corporate world, but I think in all areas, even in university or school level.
  The translation by Farjana Mobin, and Onnorokom Prokashoni was just amazing.
  It's like I have become a part of Katheryn's team myself.
  
  Hats off to the translating team for bringing such an important book to the attention of the people of this country and hats off to the author for writing so clearly.
• 
  Sergey Morovshik

  Отличная книга, просто и понятно описан ситуация, инструменты, методы простейшей диагностики команды. Все описанное в книге отзывается мне на 100% и может я бы добавил бы ещё кое-что... В общем, я прочитав понял почему многие предприниматели и лидеры ставят эту книгу в топ-10 к обязательному прочтению менеджерами. Я тоже беру книгу в топ-10.
• 
  Grekz M

  I liked this book a lot. I was entertained during the entire read.
  
  Trust your teammates. Don't run away from conflict. Commit. Make yourself and teammates accountable. Focus on team goals over individual goals.
• 
  Douglas Wilson

  A lot of good sense in this one.
• 
  Gina

  A colleague is leaving for a team lead position in another company. Looking for a gift, I came across this book, which is a top rated one in leadership category. I am not the bigest fan of self-help et co books, mostly because they tend to state the obvious, with a pedant tone. As the book arrived super quickly by post, said to give it a try as is quite short (yes, I am a daredevil who just finished the book meant to be a present haha).
  
  I was a bit questioning its effectiveness, as it started like a story. However, even though most characters seem predictable and the dialogues are not complex at all (clearly far from being a Dostoievski), the message came across better for me. The model explained seems simple and it sticked to my mind due to the exciting way it is presented, by involving some drama and a plot. Many books of this genre start with some theory and then add examples, but I think the author had a better approach. It is well known that a short story or a novel taps very well on human emotions, empathy and psychology in general.
• 
  Justas Butkus

  The techniques portion leaves a bit to be desired. Although it’s clear that the author tries to show the simplicity of the underlying ideas - the proverbial devil remains in the details.
  
  The short story is just fascinating. Building on the mechanisms pioneered by Goldratt it builds up tension, makes situations feel relatable and leaves wanting for more of the same.
• 
  Hanne Rump

  It is an easy read and it certainly have interesting point.
  
  As for stating it is a fable it is a surprisingly poor piece of literature viewed from the fiction side - which it claim to be stating that it is a fable. It does however do its job in the sense of illustrating points. I am however in doubt as to if it really enables the reader to implement any of this in real life - it might inspire useful discussions and it could be argued that that's the purpose?
• 
  Mona_97_

  من الجدير ان يتسأل المرء الذي يعيش في مجتمع يعتمد بدرجة اولى على العمل الجماعي ماسبب فشلنا على رغم المهارات و الطاقة الهائلة التي يحظى بها الفريق! يسعى الكاتب لتوضيح خمس عوامل تؤدي لخلل العمل الجماعي من ثم يطرح بعض الحلول الفعالة.. كتاب مفيد جدًا لمن يعمل في فرق سواء علميًّا او عمليًا او حياتيًا.
• 
  Rita

  "In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their peers' intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group. In essence, teammates must get comfortable being vulnerable with one another."
  
  This.
• 
  Jurgen Appelo

  Egocentric Leadership
  
  http://www.noop.nl/2012/06/egocentric...
• 
  Laura Frey (Reading in Bed)

  This is the best business book I've read, which is to say, it wasn't complete garbage.
• 
  Ishi Time

  Thought it was an interesting, helpful, and fun read. Pretty quick to get through as well.