Risk & Business Magazine California Fall 2017 | Page 18

FEATURE STORY
Although no team is perfect and even
the best teams sometimes struggle
with one or more of these issues, the
finest organizations constantly work
to ensure that their answers are “yes.”
If you answered “no” to many of these
questions, your team may need some
work.
The first step toward reducing politics
and confusion within your team is
to understand that there are five
dysfunctions (Figure 1) to contend
with, and address each that applies, one
by one.
THE DYSFUNCTIONS
DYSFUNCTION #1: ABSENCE OF
TRUST
This occurs when team members are
reluctant to be vulnerable with one
another and are unwilling to admit
their mistakes, weaknesses or needs for
help. Without a certain comfort level
among team members, a foundation of
trust is impossible.
DYSFUNCTION #2: FEAR OF
CONFLICT
Teams that are lacking on trust are
incapable of engaging in unfiltered,
passionate debate about key issues,
causing situations where team conflict
can easily turn into veiled discussions
and back channel comments. In a
work setting where team members do
not openly air their opinions, inferior
decisions are the result.
DYSFUNCTION #3: LACK OF
COMMITMENT
Without conflict, it is difficult
for team members to commit to
decisions, creating an environment
where ambiguity prevails. Lack of
direction and commitment can make
employees, particularly star employees,
disgruntled.
DYSFUNCTION #4: AVOIDANCE OF
ACCOUNTABILITY
When teams don’t commit to a clear
plan of action, even the most focused
and driven individuals hesitate to call
their peers on actions and behaviors
that may seem counterproductive to
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the overall good of the team.
DYSFUNCTION #5: INATTENTION TO
RESULTS
Team members naturally tend to
put their own needs (ego, career
development, recognition, etc.) ahead
of the collective goals of the team when
individuals aren’t held accountable. If
a team has lost sight of the need for
achievement, the business ultimately
suffers.
THE REWARDS
Striving to create a functional, cohesive
team is one of the few remaining
competitive advantages available to any
organization looking for a powerful
point of differentiation. Functional
teams avoid wasting time talking
about the wrong issues and revisit