Reality Check - Why Your Team Isn't Winning

Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, identifies the five fundamental reasons why teams do not perform well as absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, absence of accountability, and inattention to results. The Golden State Warriors experienced dysfunction but made multiple corrections to become a winning team in June. With a dedicated but frustrated fan base, the Warriors went from a team that changed front office personnel, ownership, and coaching staff to remove the dysfunctions absence of trust and lack of commitment to become an NBA Championship Team within two years.

In order for a team to win, it must be governed by a leader who has the following:

• Clear vision on what it takes to create a championship caliber team
• Commitment to excellence with combined willingness and power to destruct and construct as necessary until the mission is accomplished
• Authority to make bold decisions to put the right people in position who have solid track records and foster change that can bring about the desired results
• Professionalism to admit questionable and unfavorable player deals made with a plan of corrective action to garner great draft picks, trades, and free agent signings
• Insight into how each department can help with earned trust for others to share information
• Respect of subordinates to not undermine decisions and abilities to higher level executives
• Identification and announcement of individuals to be held accountable for missing the mark in any areas of the organization that impacts the team makeup

A breakdown in any of the aforementioned categories screams dysfunction in which a team can barely exist let alone win.  Let's hope the people with the authority for your team have read this blog post to start making changes.

Published August 21, 2015

Photo by Caleb Wellington 

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Posted in: accountability,commitment,conflict,dysfunctional team members,inattention to results,Leaders,NFL Teams,Patrick Lencioni,teambuilding,teamwork,The Five Dysfunctions of A Team,trust

Dispelling the Fairy Tale of Collaboration

When employees depend upon the workplace to be a meeting place to meet new friends, the boundary between career and personal life becomes blurry. While there will be a few individuals that relate on a personal level, there is a level of professionalism required to meet goals, create synergies and eloquently agree to disagree for optimal results. This requires effective communication, negotiation, and fact-finding - not forced collaboration.

Webster defines "collaboration" as the state of having shared interests or efforts. In environments where people are trying to be noticed and get promoted, there is a thin line between collaboration and competition. The collaboration will motivate a person to ask others for help to get what is needed for a joint project. However, competition will drive a person to hide the information he has to use as a bargaining tool for his promotion.

Collaboration cannot be forced with team gatherings.  

If people neither like nor trust each other, there is no exercise or facilitated offsite meeting that can change that. Smart individuals focus on the existing needs and handle the tasks accordingly. Wise individuals don't forget what has been done to others and protect themselves from having it done to them. In an organization that should be based on employing more individuals with wisdom than brilliance, respect of others with regards to work (not character) is all that is necessary to get the optimal results.

People will eventually learn to work with each other organically.  

Closed office doors and private hallway whispers prevent collaboration from happening. Before promoting and directing everyone to collaborate, make sure you have not been the leader who has inadvertently set an example where a disparate lack of cohesiveness and blatant divide is a normal function of the organization.

Photo by Alejandro Escamilla 

Published on August 8, 2015

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Posted in: collaboration,dysfunctional team members,Leaders,leadership,Leadership Skills,teamwork,The Five Dysfunctions of A Team