Teams are essential to organizational success, yet many never reach their potential. In “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” Patrick Lencioni identifies five common problems that undermine team effectiveness. Throughout my career, I have served on or led more than 50 teams and have seen these dysfunctions firsthand. Drawing on that experience, I will explain what each dysfunction looks like and how team leaders can address it.
Absence of trust
What does it look like?
Without trust, people don’t express what they truly think. They hesitate, withhold opinions and ideas, fearing criticism or retaliation. Conversations become guarded — it feels like walking on eggshells. Relationships grow strained and shallow. People hesitate to admit mistakes or seek help. Collaboration declines, and meetings focus more on self-protection than on solving problems.
What can a team leader do?
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- Keep your word. Follow through on commitments and take responsibility when you make a mistake.
- If you cannot keep a commitment, acknowledge it, explain why and agree on a new course of action to help preserve trust.
- During one-on-one meetings, ask employees: “Am I doing anything that makes it difficult for you to trust me or speak openly with me?”
- Start by extending trust to the people you work with. Trust their word until their actions don’t align with their words.
Trust is the glue that holds the team together. It forms the foundation for meaningful interactions. When trust was strong, I felt comfortable speaking my mind and raising difficult topics.
Fear of conflict
What does it look like?
In meetings, everyone is overly polite and guarded. People nod in agreement, hold back honest opinions and avoid sensitive topics. When trust is lacking, people tend to avoid conflict. They worry that disagreement will create tension, harm relationships, and lead to personal attacks.
Groupthink can occur. Everyone goes along with ideas they don’t truly support. On the surface, everything appears calm and cooperative, but frustration simmers beneath. Over time, people become disengaged.
What can a team leader do?
- Encourage team members to express differing opinions and challenge ideas. For specific agenda items, add a note such as “healthy debate encouraged” to indicate that disagreement is expected and welcome.
- Establish operating rules that don’t allow personal attacks, sarcasm or dismissive comments.
- When discussions seem one-sided, take on the role of the devil’s advocate yourself to reveal hidden assumptions.
Great teams argue vigorously about the issues while preventing disagreements from becoming personal.
Lack of commitment
What does it look like?
When people avoid healthy debate or saying what they think, they rarely feel genuine ownership of the goal or plan.
People complete assigned tasks but rarely take initiative or go beyond the minimum requirements. Deadlines slip, promises are forgotten and colleagues must repeatedly follow up for updates.
Team members often nod in agreement during meetings but disengage when it is time to act.
What can a team leader do?
- Discuss the importance of commitment. Openly discuss when commitment seems lacking on the team.
- Establish the “disagree and commit” practice. It is acceptable to disagree during discussions, but once a decision is reached, everyone must fully support it and work to make it succeed.
- When tasks are identified, establish single-point accountability. Assign one person to be responsible for each goal or major deliverable.
Commitment happens when people are fully involved in planning and problem-solving. Someone once said, “People who write the plan don’t fight the plan.”
Avoidance of accountability
What does it look like?
Team members make excuses, blame others and avoid taking responsibility for results. A common tactic is claiming confusion about roles or deliverables. Over time, frustration grows as reliable team members pick up the slack.
When people avoid accountability, trust erodes, standards drop and team progress slows to a crawl.
What can a team leader do?
- Set the example. Hold yourself accountable to the same standards you expect from others.
- Hold others accountable. Address missed commitments promptly and respectfully through direct, constructive conversations.
- Encourage team members to remind each other of commitments and operating rules respectfully.
- Recognize and commend those who demonstrate accountability and help others stay on track.
Accountability turns team commitments into action by ensuring that people take responsibility for their promises and meet agreed-upon standards and deadlines.
Inattention to results
What does it look like?
Discussions emphasize intentions over actual progress and measurable results.
Looking busy by scheduling meetings, PowerPoint presentations and planning sessions takes precedence over actual accomplishments.
What can a team leader do?
- Review and discuss results at every team meeting.
- Address performance issues directly, fairly and promptly.
- Celebrate accomplishments and use setbacks as learning opportunities.
Leaders must keep the team focused on the goals and outcomes that truly matter. Attention to results fosters accountability, performance and overall success.
Assessing your team’s functioning
Use these five questions to assess your team’s effectiveness:
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- Trust: Do team members feel safe admitting mistakes, asking for help and expressing their honest opinions?
- Conflict: Can team members openly disagree, challenge ideas and discuss difficult issues without fear of personal attacks?
- Commitment: Do people genuinely support the decisions made and intend to help ensure their success?
- Accountability: Are people held accountable for assigned action items?
- .Results: Does the team prioritize and discuss the results that are being achieved?
Action item
Share this article with your team and discuss any dysfunctions that require attention.