I think that it is safe to assume that we have all worked for companies that are highly dysfunctional and hopefully for at least one that was high functioning. Either way, there are many companies that function at a very low level and just don’t seem to get it.
Over the past two weeks, I have been reading a book by Patrick Lencioni called the Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Wow, this is a really easy read and a wonderful book. It really paves the way on what needs to happen for a company, or even a department or division of a company to build a very functional team of people who are aligned and traveling in the same direction.
To start out, here is an important point to consider. Recent studies from Harvard and Google have shown that many employees are reluctant to speak out, constructively criticize leaders or share ideas. Whether this reluctance is warranted or not, it could be stunting innovation, collaboration, and growth within your organization.
The above is so true and ties nicely into this book. Here are the points that are discussed and outlined in the book. Think about these and whether they are present within your company.
In order to prevent dysfunction, a company must have a foundation built on real trust. This is the kind of trust that inhibits the second dysfunction, a fear of conflict. Healthy conflict is critical as it drives commitment by everyone and commitment leads to accountability. Without accountability, we will not have results.
The basis is trust and the propensity to create conflict drives commitment, accountability and results. In this model, people flourish and companies succeed.