How to lead your team to a trusting, high-performance team

Most teams do not reach their full potential. Dysfunctional behaviors slow down their performance. As a result, team members lose motivation and commitment, avoid taking responsibility and withdraw. And yes, every team has dysfunctionalities in the form of friction, misunderstandings and (unspoken) tensions. This is completely normal when different roles, ambitions and personalities come together. These dysfunctions can be minor or major and can occur in a wide variety of areas and manifestations.

It is therefore worth analyzing the team-specific dysfunctions. The good news is that, as a manager with leadership and management skills, you can overcome all of these dysfunctions to help the team become more effective, efficient and future-proof.

In my work as a leadership sidekick (coach/consultant/facilitator), I usually start by understanding which dysfunctions are holding the team back and work with Patrick Lencioni's "5 Dysfunctions of a Team", a simple model for analyzing the position of teams in the context of team development.

The 5 dysfunctions take the form of a pyramid that is strongly reminiscent of Maslow. Again, you cannot solve the problems of a higher level without first addressing the needs of the lower level. Each dysfunction has a direct impact on a team's performance and hinders overall productivity.

How can dysfunctions be recognized? In contrast, what makes a well-functioning team? Here is an overview of the five team dysfunctions:

1. Lack of trust

How to recognize it?

People do not trust each other and are afraid to admit mistakes and weaknesses. Instead, they waste time and energy trying to control their behavior to make an impression on others.

What is missing?

Psychological safety, showing your whole self, openness to feedback and help

 

2. Fear of productive conflicts

How to recognize it?

The need for harmony prevents productive conflicts from arising. Dysfunctional teams do not dare to enter into courageous conflict due to a lack of trust. Veiled comments and gossip become the norm. Artificial harmony hides the elephants in the room.

What is missing?

Creative questioning, respectful but passionate debates on critical topics

 

3. Lack of self-commitment

How to recognize it?

Team members cannot commit themselves and make decisions without coming into conflict. The fear of being wrong prevents team members from making timely and binding decisions. This results in a lack of clarity that hinders productivity.

What is missing?

Clarity and shared understanding of direction, priorities and roles, practiced fault tolerance

 

4. Avoiding taking responsibility for each other

How to recognize it?

The desire to avoid interpersonal unpleasantness prevents team members from holding each other accountable for their behavior and performance. While not interfering in each other's work with supposedly good intentions, you are in effect lowering the standards of performance in the team. And without accountability, team members look out for their own interests above all else.

What is missing?

Clear standards for performance and accountability

 

5. Lack of focus on results

How to recognize it?

Without a focus on common goals, each team member does what they want and what serves their personal interests best. However, outstanding team results are achieved when team members put their egos aside and focus on the common result.

What is missing?

Prioritizing the best result for the team as a whole.

 

Each of these dysfunctions builds on the previous dysfunction. To build a high-performing team, you need to address each level. In a team process - ideally with a competent coach - the dysfunctions can be uncovered and the basis for working through them can be laid - so the team can work more effectively and achieve top results.