How To Get A Dysfunctional Team Back On Track (Part 1) - Trust and Conflict
Organisations waste vast amounts of time, effort and money each year by failing to recognise or correct dysfunctional teams. Despite dismal success rates, many leaders fail to fix dysfunctional teams.
A PricewaterhouseCoopers study of 200 global companies across various sectors―involving more than 10,000 projects―found less than 3% successfully completed their plans. Similar research reveals 60%–70% project failure rates. IT project failures cause estimated losses of up to $150 billion per year in the United States alone.
Dysfunctional teams cannot be blamed for all business failures. Still, they play a significant role in unsuccessful projects and missed goals. In his acclaimed bestseller, organisational consultant Patrick Lencioni identifies The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:
Absence of trust
Fear of conflict
Lack of commitment
Avoidance of accountability
Inattention to results
Leaders must address these dysfunctions if their teams are to have any chance of success.
"The true measure of a team is that it accomplishes the results that it sets out to achieve. …It requires levels of courage and discipline―and emotional energy―that even the most driven executives don't always possess." ~ Patrick Lencioni, (Jossey-Bass, 2002)
Absence of Trust
Trust is the foundation for all human interactions and the key to a functional team. Lack of trust is the core dysfunction, the one that leads to all other problems.
In my work as a coach, I observe many incidents that stem from distrust in organisations. As important as trust is, people will say and do things that create distrust and act surprised at the consequences.
Several group behaviours demonstrate distrust. Team members may have low confidence in others. They may fear that any sign of personal weakness could be used against them. Consequently, people are unwilling to be vulnerable, transparent or open when exchanging ideas or expressing their feelings. Those who avoid exposure to criticism resist asking for help and hesitate before offering it to others.
A lack of trust creates defensiveness in team members, notes leadership consultant Roger M. Schwarz in Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams (Jossey-Bass, 2013). Defensive team members feel the need to protect themselves, he explains in "Get a Dysfunctional Team Back On Track" (Harvard Business Review).
An absence of trust undermines the relationships team members need to work together successfully. Without trust, there's poor communication, cooperation and participation. Leaders who want to rebuild trust can try the following strategies:
Vulnerability: Create an environment in which team members can safely feel vulnerable. Draw out people's personal experiences by sharing your own stories, thereby setting the proper tone and lowering barriers. Recognise that it takes determination and resolve to restore trust.
Honest Feedback: Team members must learn how to provide feedback. Acknowledging and affirming others with constructive feedback set the stage for positive reinforcement and encouragement. Consistent, honest feedback can then become habitual, which fortifies trust.
Authenticity: Practice humility to tear down walls. If you and your team admit that you don't know everything, the experience will be freeing. Remind the team that everyone is in the same boat, everyone is in the process of learning, and no one has all the answers. Each member contributes to the group's problems and solutions.
Integrity: Model integrity in group dynamics. Everything you do is magnified and often copied. When you "walk the talk," others will follow your example. Integrity and trust become contagious. Noble character (doing what's right for each other) reduces defensiveness and distrust.
Fear of Conflict in Teams
When teams avoid conflict at all costs, it actually impedes their effectiveness. A survey found that 91%t of high-level managers believe teams are the key to success. But the evidence doesn’t always support this assertion. Many teamwork-related problems remain hidden from view, including fear of conflict, the second dysfunction of Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Jossey-Bass, 2002).
Lack of trust within a team quickly leads to fear of conflict, confrontation, criticism and/or reprisal. When teammates and leaders are seen as potential threats, people adopt avoidance tactics. This sets up an artificial harmony that has no productive value. There is no true consensus, just a risk-preventing sentiment of “yes” feedback. Good analysis is avoided. Practical solutions are not explored, and the team functions poorly.
This dynamic allows a domineering team member to take over, with a unilateral-control mentality. Dominant personalities believe they’re always correct, and anyone who disagrees is wrong and disloyal. Independent ideas are stifled. Negative feedback creates discomfort. People’s spirits and self-esteem eventually plummet, crippling group performance.
When coaching, I get to hear from leaders who deal with team conflicts. And many of them aren’t comfortable themselves dealing with disputes. But as a leader, they must teach their teams that discomfort is sometimes part of the job. People can get used to feeling uncomfortable, to some degree. It’s part of doing business and a key dynamic among coworkers.
Conflict-resolution training can help leaders encourage productive debate without hurting feelings or wounding character. Trust grows, and challenging ideas can be processed to reach a consensus on solutions. Once again, it’s up to you as a leader to set an example by developing this vital leadership skill.
It’s just as important to recognise when you and your team members agree too quickly and assess whether consensus is authentic. Teams often avoid discomfort by falling into “groupthink;” instead of debating solutions, members “go along just to get along.”
What’s been your experience with trust and conflict in teams? I'd love to hear from you. I can be reached here and on LinkedIn.
In Part 2 of this series we will explore the remaining areas of Lencioni’s model, commitment, accountability and results, and importantly what to do about it.
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