The Five dysfunctions of a team

心海

Hello Everyone, I am Edward from CQ. First I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to our HR management team for giving me this opportunity to make a sharing. This is a good chance for me to improve my presentation and storytelling skills, especially my English, as I have not spoken English for quite a long time. I believe everyone who participate in the program can benefit from it. The BOOK I am going to share today is the Five dysfunctions of a team. This is a book authored by Patrick Lencioni, who has written several best-selling books that focus on leadership and organizational health. In this book, Lencioni presents his theories and advice through a of business fable, which is very easy to read and is very helpful to build a healthy organization. Why I choose to share this book? I will first introduce the background. In CQ , we have strong learning atmosphere.

Early in 2020, that was the beginning of covid-19 period, we established a reading club. We read and shared books together after work.

In 2021 to 2022 the reading club developed into learning groups and micro classes based on Clarios Network academy, the learning resources provided by HQ.

And from 2023 to 2024, we established EPP club and Insights Discovery workshop to improve the training effect transformation & application. All those activities helped us to create a strong learning atmosphere in CQ. Recently, from Nov. to Dec. We were reading the Five dysfunctions of a team recommended by our General Manager Tony Sun, and that is the book I am sharing now. So what are the Five dysfunctions of a team, here is a model.

The first dysfunction of a team is the absence of trust. It's the foundation of teamwork. And what it requires is that people get vulnerable with one another, that they're very open about who they are, what they're good at, what they're not good at.

without trust, we cannot build a team, and that will lead to the second dysfunction, which is the fear of conflict. You see, conflict is not only okay in a team, it's necessary and required. We must engage in conflict. And when we have trust, conflict becomes nothing but the passionate pursuit of truth.

Why is conflict so important? Because without it, we're going to encounter the third dysfunction of a team, which is the lack of commitment, teams that don't engage in open, honest conflict don't really commit to the decisions they make. They're passive about it. Commitment is when everybody truly buys in because they've weighed in on a decision and they realize that's what they're all going to stick with. and why is commitment so important? Because without it, we're going to encounter the fourth and most common dysfunction of a team, which is the inability of people to hold each other accountable. Accountability is so important on a team.

When people are committed, they're going to have more courage to actually confront one another about shortcomings in their behavior and their performance. And why is accountability so important?

Because if people aren't holding each other accountable, they're going to encounter the next and final dysfunction, which is the inattention to results. It means that people do not focus on the collective results of the team, but just their own individual results, their budget, their department, their staff.

If we're going to focus on the collective results of the team, we have to trust one another. We have to engage in healthy conflict. We have to commit to decisions, hold one another accountable, and achieve true collective results. Those are the five dysfunctions of a team. But how to overcome the five dysfunctions. Here are the tools
"Due to time limit I will introduce one tool for each dysfunction. Building Trust: We kickstart with Personal Histories Exercise. It's a powerful way to open up, allowing team members to reveal their vulnerabilities and build genuine connections.

Mastering Conflicts: we can assign a Miner of conflicts in our team, whose main role is to help the team identify and address issues promptly, ensuring that conflicts are resolved constructively and don't fester.

Achieving Commitment: Set Clear Deadlines to ensure that everyone is aligned with the timeline and the urgency of tasks. This clarity drives focus and commitment to the team's objectives. Embracing Accountability: We can focus on Publication of Goals and Standards. By making these explicit, we create a culture where accountability is not just expected but built-in.

Focusing on Results: We adopt Results-Based Rewards. This approach ties individual and team achievements directly to the outcomes

By implementing these actions, we can effectively overcome the dysfunctions and drive our team towards unprecedented success." In conclusion, a well-functioning team embodies the following characteristics:

1. **Building Trust**: Team members trust one another, creating a foundation for open and honest communication.

2. **Mastering Conflict**: They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas, ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard and the best solutions are reached.

3. **Achieving Commitment**: Once decisions are made, they commit to them fully, working together towards the team's goals.

4. **Embracing Accountability**: They hold each other accountable for delivering against plans, fostering a culture of responsibility and follow-through.

5. **Focusing on Results**: The team is united in their focus on achieving collective results, prioritizing the success of the team over individual interests.

A good team is one where trust is built, conflicts are managed constructively, commitments are made and kept, accountability is embraced, and results are the driving force behind every action. This is the essence of a high-performing team.

《团队协作的五大障碍》企业读书会开营仪式