In the last part of our series about team dysfunction, today we'll cover the last two of Patrick Lencioni's "Five Dysfunctions of a Team": Avoidance of Accountability and Inattention to Results.
One of the things that has struck me most about these Five Dysfunctions is the significant impact that a lack of strategic focus has on each of them. Without a clear direction, employees don't know which priorities to focus their efforts and that usually yields sub-par performance...and with the last two, that is even more prevalent.
Avoidance of Accountability: If employees aren't sure of the direction of the company or their departmental goals, how are they going to have leverage to hold others accountable? Accountable to what?
A team that lacks accountability 1) Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance, 2) Encourages mediocrity, 3) Misses deadlines and key deliverables.
Maybe the most impactful way to improve accountability is to publicize the goals and standards...make it crystal clear what is expected and how everyone must behave to achieve the objectives. Yet another approach is to regularly give reviews on progress - this helps in re-setting expectations for anyone going off track. And finally,give rewards or recognition for progress along the way or for meeting important milestones.
Inattention to Results: Once again, the importance of clearly stated goals and objectives comes into play.
A team that is not focused on results 1) Stagnates/fails to grow, 2) Rarely defeats competitors, 3) Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals.
Consistent with accountability, a focus on expectations and a clear picture of success is important, along with a public declaration of results. And institute a process where financial rewards such as compensation or bonus are based on team completion of goals.
Hopefully by spotlighting some of the key dysfunctions of teams, you can determine which ones are impacting your ability to achieve objectives...and you have some steps to take to get on the path toward success!
One of the things that has struck me most about these Five Dysfunctions is the significant impact that a lack of strategic focus has on each of them. Without a clear direction, employees don't know which priorities to focus their efforts and that usually yields sub-par performance...and with the last two, that is even more prevalent.
Avoidance of Accountability: If employees aren't sure of the direction of the company or their departmental goals, how are they going to have leverage to hold others accountable? Accountable to what?
A team that lacks accountability 1) Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance, 2) Encourages mediocrity, 3) Misses deadlines and key deliverables.
Maybe the most impactful way to improve accountability is to publicize the goals and standards...make it crystal clear what is expected and how everyone must behave to achieve the objectives. Yet another approach is to regularly give reviews on progress - this helps in re-setting expectations for anyone going off track. And finally,give rewards or recognition for progress along the way or for meeting important milestones.
Inattention to Results: Once again, the importance of clearly stated goals and objectives comes into play.
A team that is not focused on results 1) Stagnates/fails to grow, 2) Rarely defeats competitors, 3) Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals.
Consistent with accountability, a focus on expectations and a clear picture of success is important, along with a public declaration of results. And institute a process where financial rewards such as compensation or bonus are based on team completion of goals.
Hopefully by spotlighting some of the key dysfunctions of teams, you can determine which ones are impacting your ability to achieve objectives...and you have some steps to take to get on the path toward success!
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