Overcoming the Five Dysfunction of a Team Essay

The majority of Patrick Lencionis work The quintet Dysfunctions of a Team is a fictionalized account of a very true management challenge. The fictitous company is DecisionTech, a 150 person software start-up in Silicon Valley. The company, thanks to the efforts of Jeff the companys firstCEO, is well funded and staffed with top level executives. However, the company is lagging behind several competitors and the bill has replaced Jeff with Kathryn. Kathryn immediately begins a careful review of the situation and determines that the senior management police squad isnt much of a team at all. Utilizing a series of exercises and off-site meetings, Kathryn begins an aggressive team building (and team thinning). She opens ever meeting of her transport reports with the following speechWe have a more experienced and happy executive team than any of our competitors. We have more cash than they doWe have better core technology. And we have a powerful board of directors. Yet in spite of all that, we are behind two of our competitors in terms of both revenue and customer growth. Can anyone here tell me why that is?In fact, Kathryn goes on to open every executive team meeting with this very quote. In time, Kathryn observes the personality traits of her team and their trivial comings clearly illustrate the 5 dysfunctions of a typical teamTeams pack trust to communicate honestly and openly Absence of Trust apprehension of ConflictTeams must commit together Lack of Commitment. (Trust is a Prereq) shunning of AccountabilityInattention to resultsKathryn succeeds in righting the ship and turning DecisionTech around still not without some trials and tribulations on the way. The newly invigorated executive team is much much stronger.More Key PointsCommon team goals backsheesh individuals to making better decisions, seeing beyond their own potentially specify self interests and really moving the needle in the corporate world. The thingmabob is simple building and main taining a team is hard work and nooky force even the most seasoned professional well extracurricular of their traditional comfort zones. Professionals have disparate work habits, communication styles and levels of stirred up intelligence. Getting everyone to pull in the same direction can be tough workThis book also includes pages of worksheets, self-assessments and more. This work is a speedily one or two hour read.Recommended ResourcesFor a more in-depth, universal summary of Five Dysfunctions of a Team