The ability of managers and other organizational members to create, maintain, and lead teams is essential to maximizing the performance of an organization in the rapidly changing environment most organizations face today. According to Patrick M.
Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, effective teams within an organization represent a competitive advantage because they are so powerful and yet so rare. He argues that effective teams are rare because of the following dysfunctions:
Absence of trust—the lack of open and transparent discussion of opinions, weaknesses, and failures due to distrust of team members.
Fear of conflict—the avoidance or suppression of honest and straightforward differences of opinion due to fear of conflict among team members.
Lack of commitment—the existence of superficial agreement and limited buy-in to a decision due to team members not having a fair say in the process.
Avoidance of accountability—the absence of a willingness to be responsible and hold others accountable due to team members not being clear about goals and expectations.
Inattention to results—the lack of attention to and energy directed to team needs and goals due to team members focusing on their own interests or goals.
Addressing these dysfunctions is worth the effort. According to Bob Appleby, an executive with experience in the security and pharmaceuticals industries, “If you can address the five dysfunctions, the results will lead to a team that exceeds expectations, sets viable strategies, and not only trusts each other, but drives trust through their entire organization.”
Sources: Hill, G. (April 22, 2020). Five Questions with Bob Appleby. Security Systems News. http://www.securitysystemsnews.
com/article/five-questions-bob-appleby; Longenecker, C., Neubert, M. J., & Fink, L. (2007). Causes and consequences of managerial failure in rapidly changing organizations. Business Horizons, 50(2), 145–155; Lencioni, P. M. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

1. Using team development techniques and your own experience in teams, provide suggestions for actions you can take in student teams to avoid these dysfunctions.
2. Describe how your suggestions address one or more dysfunctions.