Sapphire 2008 Keynote (Pat Lencioni): Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Actually I have a better title for this for Pat …
- Management 101: Mitigating Your Five Dysfunctions (you know … the ones you don’t have)
Because when I read his title I thought “Man, we all are dysfunctional” as his “Five Dysfunctions” (below) really can apply to anyone .. not just those creating or managing teams.
So I canceled my appointment with my therapist and got to running.
| Details | Notable Points |
Title/Link:
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Recommend to Watch? Perhaps
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1. Absence of Trust
2. Fear of Conflict
3. Lack of Commitment
4. Avoidance of Accountability
5. Inattention To Results
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I still think that anyone, if they are honest, have these five Dysfunctions … and they are not going away. Given that, what we should be doing is figuring out how to mitigate them … not solving them … as I think they are core to the human ego.
Would be curious on your thoughts … as always.
* START OF RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **
According to Pat Lencioni, teamwork remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare. He makes the point that if you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time. Based on his runaway best-seller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Lencioni uncovers the natural human tendencies that derail teams and lead to politics and confusion in so many organizations. 2008 ASUG Annual Conference attendees will walk away with specific advice and practical tools for overcoming dysfunctions and making their functional and project teams more effective and cohesive.
Speakers:
………………• Patrick Lencioni, Founder and President, The Table Group
………………• 5/12/2008, 6:11 AM
………………• Myers/Briggs - He is ENFP … no focus
………………………………§ Likes Q&A
………………………………§ Office is near Berkley … but this won’t be a Berkley talk (no love in)
………………• Teamwork is where competitive advantage comes from
………………• Two reasons
………………………………§ It is rare
………………………………………………□ SW Airlines … due to culture
………………………………§ It is the key that lets you leverage the other stuff (tech, strategy, etc)
………………• Teamwork is like parenting
………………………………§ He has 4 boys
………………………………§ 1st child you over think. Last child gets the basics (but the good stuff).
………………………………………………□ Over read / theories on 1st child
………………………………§ Talk to Dad w/ 7 kids … doing well .. Keys he saw … three things
………………………………………………□ Clear boundaries
………………………………………………□ Praise them for being in boundaries
………………………………………………□ Whatever they do … they know that you love them
………………• What is he going to share … you know
………………• He just puts it in a framework so you can remember
………………• Quote … People need to be reminded … Not instructed
………………• 5/12/2008, 6:19 AM
………………• 5 dysfunctions of a team
………………………………§ Absence of Trust
………………………………………………□ Not Predictive Trust - Where you know the word of a person is good.
………………………………………………□ KEY –> Vulnerability Based Trust - I need help. Will people reach out
………………………………………………□ Why 5 dysfunction … Why not the five functions? You are interested on why people fail.
………………………………………………□ Story - Tech stratup. Handpicked people from a variety of companies
………………………………………………………………® Struggling vs competition
………………………………………………………………® Not core business assets … good there
………………………………………………………………® Weird dynamics on team … some people speak … no one responds. It was the ‘funky’ guy.
………………………………………………………………® Kept meeting with executives
………………………………………………………………® Over dinner the funky guy jokes that they don’t really trust one another
………………………………………………………………® CEO and He worked to try and get him to trust people … didn’t
………………………………………………………………® Let him go
………………………………………………………………® Night and day difference
………………………………………………□ Leader must be vunerable 1st … then others will follow the lead
………………………………………………□ Another story
………………………………………………………………® Another example of head of company … no one trusted him … Head of HR did feedback survey
………………………………………………………………® Reviewed w/ no one at first
………………………………………………………………® Went over it with team … allowed him to observe
………………………………………………………………® Report says not a good listener … everyone says he is a good listener
………………………………………………………………………………◊ So he skips
………………………………………………………………® Not enough feedback, praise … everyone gives praise
………………………………………………………………………………◊ So he skips it
………………………………………………………………………………◊ He rolled up to the CIO … someone had to write this stuff
………………………………………………………………………………◊ So one person vouched for needing more praise (marketing guy)
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Group still denied after marketing guy
………………………………………………………………® This was the day the CIO lost credibility
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Didn’t acknowledge the problems he had … and set the culture of not being ok to be wrong to be vunerabilility
………………………………………………□ Can’t change via an event … needs to become something you do … all the time
………………………………………………□ Another example — politics
………………………………………………………………® Clinton (bill)
………………………………………………………………® 1992 … asked him about tough questions … said he made mistakes … not a perfect man
………………………………………………………………® A few years later made another mistake
………………………………………………□ Vunerability happens in daily debate … you realize you wrong … before they do … and then you admit it … versus walking away … look at people and say I wish I was like you … people will walk through walls of fire for those that are human
………………………………§ Fear of Conflict
………………………………………………□ Good — Around Issues And Ideas
………………………………………………□ Bad — Conflict on people behaviors
………………………………………………□ Japan example … how they agree or not
………………………………………………………………® Agree - They say Hi (yes)
………………………………………………………………® Disagree - They suck in their breathe and they say Hi (yes)
………………………………………………………………® Hard to tell difference
………………………………………………………………® Regional … say same things mean different stuff
………………………………………………□ What matters is if team is holding back … are they choosing their battles
………………………………………………□ Example of Marriage
………………………………………………………………® How one couple broke up due to inability to argue
………………………………………………………………® Discuss … however you want to do it (japanese … suttle … or in your face like east coast)
………………………………………………□ No conflict due to protecting feelings
………………………………………………………………® What organizations have worst back channel character crushers
………………………………………………………………® Churches
………………………………………………………………® Meetings … show respect … too nice
………………………………………………………………® But backchannel on ideas … the person realizes … and it becomes an unspoken argument … will become a character conflict
………………………………………………□ Why not just make the decision … for them … avoid conflict
………………………………………………………………® Cut off conflict … run into 3rd dysfunction
………………………………§ Lack of commitment
………………………………………………□ When people don’t weigh in … They don’t buy in
………………………………………………□ Doesn’t mean you will get consensus
………………………………………………□ As a leader … you have to give opp to hear what people think … then move
………………………………………………………………® Listen … then if not consensus …
………………………………………………………………® Restate various aspects … why doing … or not doing … people angles
………………………………………………………………® Then say angle you are going with
………………………………………………………………® Heard and considered … Not humored
………………………………………………□ No speaking … passive commitment
………………………………………………□ Not sabotage … Just no heart … No battle on problems they see … Mild resistenance
………………………………§ Avoidance of Accountability
………………………………………………□ How much courage do you have to hold your PEER (not boss) accountable
………………………………………………□ Story 49′ers
………………………………………………………………® Player sprained ankle … didn’t come to game
………………………………………………………………® Players told him on Monday he would be gone at their request if he does it again (NOT BOSS)
………………………………………………………………® Irony … leader has to show ability to confront difficult issues
………………………………………………□ Most CxO’s have issues dealing w/ difficult issues
………………………………………………………………® Mistake ability to fire … w/ accountability
………………………………………………………………® Story - CEO Startup
………………………………………………………………………………◊ 1 yr stabilize company
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Strategy … External … focus … hire president / COO
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Fred (direct report) … started telling people (backchannel) he was the guy for COO .. Didn’t like
………………………………………………………………………………◊ CEO … didn’t know … told him
………………………………………………………………………………………………► Said … absolutely not …
………………………………………………………………………………………………► Will you tell him … no … not time and energy …
………………………………………………………………………………………………► Running away from what they don’t want to do
………………………………………………………………® Example
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Budget review w/ CFO … not supporting his consulting work
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Said he would can his programs if he could
………………………………………………………………………………◊ CEO … CFO … basically not agreeing on investment
………………………………………………………………………………◊ His point to CEO convince … get on board … CFO
………………………………………………………………………………◊ CEO … Fred saying he hates programs … talk to him and work it out … CEO refused … makes company look bad … no time
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Lack of time …. Procrastinate … drives decay from internal
………………………………………………□ Lessons of Accountability - Management Guru … his Son
………………………………………………………………® Has twins … one was acting up at reading
………………………………………………………………® Wife … not a whoosie … kicked him out
………………………………………………………………® Matthew … 1/2 way through … stay for 2nd half … come back
………………………………………………………………® Allowed (he is weak)
………………………………………………………………® 2nd son points out not holding accountable … teammates did
………………………………………………□ 5/12/2008, 6:51 AM
………………………………§ Inattention to Results
………………………………………………□ when team members put their individual needs (such as ego, career development, or recognition) or even the needs of their divisions above the collective goals of the team.
………………………………………………□ Example - Scottie Pippen
………………………………………………………………® Leader of bulls after Jordan …
………………………………………………………………® Favored to win championship … w/ Jordan
………………………………………………………………® Get to playoffs
………………………………………………………………® Timeout CHI … ball Pipen (no) … put to other guy … Pipen refused to go out on floor … wants to take shot
………………………………………………………………® Substitute for Pipen …
………………………………………………………………® Bulls made shot anyway
………………………………………………………………® Courage of audacity … stand up and say its about me …
………………………………………………………………………………◊ Then you know who to fire
………………………………………………□ Reality is teamwork is not natural
………………………………………………□ Hold them accountable at peer level … more partners watching
• 5/12/2008, 6:55 AM
• Closing points
………………………………………………
** END RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **
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Interesting stuff. I’m a big reader of books on the way teams either gel or fail (or sometimes both). In fact, I very rarely read “industry” or “business” books, and most of them I do fall into those that discuss the way we work together. (I’ll briefly plug Decision Traps as my favorite of these.)
What always strikes me is how much they relate to “real life” as opposed to the job. The list above ties better than most. If people could apply those to their relationships with their spouses and kids, life would be a lot easier.
Good stuff.
I think it all comes down to one point: Motivation. An unmotivated team can never get a good job done.
John, I am with you the concepts here are applicable to life … but that makes sense … as real humans do these tasks.
To PM Hut’s point … you could boil it down to motivation. But that remaining stock is a complex brew. What motivates, people and teams is an art form in itself.
In my mind the right kind of motivation is derived from a functional team environment… In other words teams where the primary motivation is money is much different than a team motivated by loftier goals such as a transformational mission (Google), a desire to do reduce the barriers to knowledge (Wikipedia), etc.
My experience tells me that all teams have some degree of dysfunction. The goal is to recognize where your team falls in the hierarchy of dysfunctions and mitigate the problem at that point. Without real trust, little progress can be made on fostering healthy robust debate. The real stickler always seems to be getting people to buy in to a decision they disagree with. As Bauer sums up - the nature of the human ego makes this a tough one to get past.
Amen to that David. Money is good and all but it quickly reaches diminishing returns. Look at the people leaving Google. There is something missing for them.
Right now what I am pondering is why peoples perceived goals are often (perhaps by society marketing) misaligned with what they really would like in their life (lasting purpose). Not the core of Pat’s point … but a definite under current in #3 (commitment), #4 (accountability from peers comes from shared vision/purpose), and #5 (the team 1st attitude also come from shared vision/purpose).
Wikipedia’s crowd force has a shared vision (community repository of human knowledge) … Google’s shared vision is getting weaker I suspect. So many people running around out there … hard to feel you are core to the movement of the company.
Very interesting thoughts on team dynamics/disfunctions. I think the core is getting people (esp in IT with ego play) to recognize and set aside. That being said - any thoughts on overcoming the dysfunctions if they have been at play for awhile?
I try to look at my dysfunction (or others) as defensive mechanisms. In doing so, you can root cause why people put them into play (the dysfunction) and focus on creating an environment that makes them feel that deploying those behaviors isn’t required. For example:
Lack of Trust - Why do people not trust? Typically because they have been burned in trusting to easily. Redouble efforts to show you can be trusted.
Fear of Conflict - Conflict must have ended in bad things in their past … you need to demonstrate how the right types of conflict can end w/ positive action.
Etc.
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