Of critical importance in reaching business objectives is making sure your people work well together. If you haven't read Patrick Lencioni's, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team", you might benefit from picking it up. It is a fable (and quick read) about a CEO whose business is starting to fail mainly due to a critically dysfunctional team.
Maybe you recognize that your own team has some struggles, but you're not really sure what is causing the turmoil. Lencioni professes a kind-of-a Maslow's hierarchy of dysfunction as follows:
Maybe you recognize that your own team has some struggles, but you're not really sure what is causing the turmoil. Lencioni professes a kind-of-a Maslow's hierarchy of dysfunction as follows:
His premise is that a lack of trust is the foundation (and cause) of many other dysfunctions. Examples of behaviors where a lack of trust pervade include team members who: 1) conceal their weakness or mistakes; 2) hesitate to ask for, or offer, help; 3) jump to conclusions about the intentions or aptitudes of others without attempting to clarify them; 4) hold grudges; 5) avoid meetings and find ways to avoid spending time together.
How to overcome a lack of trust? Certainly not overnight! It requires shared experiences over time that include understanding and a building of credibility for team members. One of the suggestions is...oh, no, dare I say it...team building exercises.
Once the team buys into the vision of building trust, a simple exercise such as sharing personal history can work well. In the next team gathering, go around the table and ask folks to share some information about themselves such as hometown, favorite hobbies, first job, worst job, etc. This provides team members with the opportunity to relate to each other in another way and see each other as people with interesting backgrounds. This encourages greater empathy and understanding, a few main steps in building trust and rapport.
Next time we'll cover some of the ways to overcome the other dysfunctions of teams. Stop back soon!
How to overcome a lack of trust? Certainly not overnight! It requires shared experiences over time that include understanding and a building of credibility for team members. One of the suggestions is...oh, no, dare I say it...team building exercises.
Once the team buys into the vision of building trust, a simple exercise such as sharing personal history can work well. In the next team gathering, go around the table and ask folks to share some information about themselves such as hometown, favorite hobbies, first job, worst job, etc. This provides team members with the opportunity to relate to each other in another way and see each other as people with interesting backgrounds. This encourages greater empathy and understanding, a few main steps in building trust and rapport.
Next time we'll cover some of the ways to overcome the other dysfunctions of teams. Stop back soon!
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