Factors Contributing to Team Dysfunction

Teams are often dysfunctional. For six reasons, not five. In his 2002 book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," Patrick Lencioni suggested that genuine teamwork is rare, and that organizations often unknowingly fall prey to five interrelated dysfunctions that hinder team effectiveness. These dysfunctions form an inverted pyramid, each one leading to the next: - Absence of Trust: Team members are unwilling to be vulnerable, leading to... - Fear of Conflict: Inability to engage in unfiltered, passionate debate of ideas, leading to... - Lack of Commitment: Feigning agreement during meetings, leading to... - Avoidance of Accountability: Hesitation to call peers on actions and behaviors that seem counterproductive, leading to... - Inattention to Results: Putting individual needs above the collective goals of the team. Lencioni emphasizes that while these concepts are simple in theory, they require significant discipline and persistence to overcome in practice. He also writes that the leader plays a crucial role by demonstrating vulnerability first, setting the tone for the team to follow. I very much agree with his take. Based on my experience working with diverse teams across the globe, though, I would add another dysfunction: 6. Misunderstanding the Power of Difference: Diverse teams bring unique perspectives and strengths, but misunderstanding or underestimating these differences can lead to missed opportunities and great resentment. Here's how to address this dysfunction: - Acknowledge, understand and value differences. - Foster inclusive, candid communication. - Don't blame difference when things go wrong (since difference is usually not to blame). Whatever the line of difference—identity, role, or geographical location—effective teams manage differences proactively and thoughtfully. When they don't, misunderstandings and misinterpretations due to differences in language, cultural norms, and communication styles can hinder their effectiveness. When we recognize and harness differences, we unlock the full potential of teams, driving exceptional results. #Collaboration #Teams #HumanResources #Leadership #Innovation #Difference #Communication

Teams don’t fall apart all at once. They rot quietly first. The signs are small. Easy to miss. Until it’s too late. Here are 13 red flags you should never ignore: 1. Silence in meetings. ↳ If no one speaks, no one feels safe. 2. Inside jokes that exclude. ↳ Culture isn’t what’s said; it’s who gets left out. 3. Decisions made in whispers. ↳ If it happens after the call, it’s not collaboration. It’s control. 4. Chronic lateness. ↳ Being late once is a mistake. Being late always is disrespect. 5. Constant firefighting. ↳ When everything is urgent, nothing is strategic. 6. No clear ownership. ↳ When a task fails and everyone shrugs, you have a bigger problem than deadlines. 7. Over-celebrating small wins. ↳ It’s great to celebrate. It’s dangerous when celebration hides deeper cracks. 8. Under-communicating bad news. ↳ If you have to "read between the lines," you're not being led—you’re being managed. 9. Fear of asking questions. ↳ If people stay confused instead of speaking up, trust is already broken. 10. Recognition tied to politics. ↳ When praise goes to the loudest, not the best, talent quietly leaves. 11. New ideas die fast. ↳ Innovation doesn’t need permission. But it dies without support. 12. Meetings that drain instead of build. ↳ Every meeting should create clarity or energy. If not, it's rot in real time. 13. You feel relieved when a coworker leaves. ↳ Relief is not a team emotion. It’s a warning signal. A dysfunctional team doesn't explode. It erodes. One unchecked habit at a time. Catch the red flags early, Or spend years cleaning up the mess later. P.S. Tag someone who builds teams the right way by protecting trust, not just chasing goals. ♻️ Repost to encourage healthy functioning teams ➕ Follow Nathan Crockett, PhD for posts that encourage, educate, and inspire

After 20+ years as a C-level, here's the truth: Your team is only as strong as the worst behavior you allow. As leaders, we often avoid these conversations. But every time we let bad behavior slide, we tell our best people that results matter more than respect. I've made this mistake. Many times. 5 behaviors that kill team performance (and what to say): 1/ The Meeting Bulldozer ↳ Interrupts constantly ↳ Dominates every discussion ↳ Talks over quieter voices What to say: "I notice you have a lot of energy here. Let's create space for others to share their perspectives." 2/ The Passive-Aggressive Communicator ↳ Uses subtle digs in meetings ↳ Sends undermining emails ↳ Makes sarcastic comments What to say: "I sense you have concerns. Let's discuss them directly. What issues do you need us to address?" 3/ The Deadline Dodger ↳ Misses deadlines without warning ↳ Offers last-minute excuses ↳ Creates cascade failures What to say: "Missing deadlines impacts everyone. Flag risks early. What support do you need to meet commitments?" 4/ The Credit Taker ↳ Claims others' work as their own ↳ Minimizes team contributions ↳ Spotlights personal achievements What to say: "This was a team effort. Walk me through everyone's contributions so we can recognize them properly." 5/ The Decision Underminer ↳ Agrees in meetings, disagrees after ↳ Creates side conversations ↳ Erodes team alignment What to say: "We need unity. If you disagree, bring it up in meetings. What concerns haven't we addressed?" What you permit, you promote. Your team is watching how you handle these moments. These conversations are how great cultures are built, one interaction at a time. (Swipe ➡️ for the visual carousel version) What behavior(s) have I missed? ----- ♻️ Repost to help other leaders build stronger teams. ➕ Follow me (Chris Laping) for more leadership insights.

Great teams don't fall apart overnight. It's the small things we do daily that push our best people away. The signs are subtle at first... Small decisions that slowly break trust until your best people are gone. Here are 6 subtle leadership behaviors that damage teams and how to fix them: 1/ Unrealistic Expectations ❌ Setting targets that drain more than inspire ❌ Pushing teams past their breaking point ✅ Match goals to your team's real capacity ✅ Create space to deliver quality, not just speed 2/ Shifting Goals ❌ Moving targets before anything gets done ❌ Breaking momentum with constant changes ✅ Protect your team's focus like gold ✅ Change direction only when truly needed 3/ Overloading Team Members ❌ Piling work on your reliable people ❌ Ignoring capacity until burnout hits ✅ Monitor workloads before damage is done ✅ Distribute challenges, not just tasks 4/ Lack of Transparency ❌ Letting uncertainty breed fear ❌ Creating gaps that rumors fill ✅ Share context behind tough decisions ✅ Make transparency your default 5/ Avoiding Difficult Conversations ❌ Letting small issues grow into team divides ❌ Watching morale slowly decay ✅ Address problems while they're still small ✅ Build trust through honest conversations 6/ Inconsistent Leadership ❌ Leading by mood instead of principles ❌ Breaking trust through unpredictable moves ✅ Set clear standards everyone can count on ✅ Make decisions your team can predict The truth about great teams: They don't leave because of big mistakes. They leave because of small breaks in trust. Day after day. Which one resonates most? ♻️ Share to help other leaders And follow Mariya Valeva for more

The most expensive problems in leadership don’t show up in your P&L. They show up in the room. In the past 12 months, what I’ve learned — and what this graphic nails — is that most executive dysfunction doesn’t come from lack of experience. It comes from team dynamics no one’s willing to talk about. - A leadership team that avoids conflict because they fear tension — and then ends up with decisions no one’s really committed to. - A new hire who’s brilliant on paper — but can’t be vulnerable enough to build real trust. - A global team that says they value accountability — but tolerates missed deadlines and quiet underperformance. These aren’t soft issues. They’re the cracks that derail transformation, delay launches, and quietly crush performance. What I’ve found when hiring senior leaders is this: ✔ Most companies evaluate results. ✔ Some companies look at skills. ❌ Few evaluate how leaders handle conflict, feedback, and trust. And that’s where the biggest risk (and opportunity) lies. When I hire for high-performance teams, I don’t just ask: → “Can this person do the job?” I ask: → “Will they build or break trust when things get hard?” → “Can they challenge others — and be challenged back?” → “Will they own results, or protect status?” The most successful teams I’ve seen — especially in consumer goods where cross-functional collaboration is essential — all share one trait: They do the hard, human work. They talk about what isn’t working. They hold each other accountable. They lead with transparency — not territory. So, if your team is scaling, hiring, or transforming this year… Ask yourself honestly: Which dysfunction are we quietly tolerating? Because trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results aren’t “soft skills.” They’re the architecture of every high-performing executive team. And you can’t build anything strong without the right foundation. #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipHiring #FMCGLeadership #HighPerformanceTeams #OrganizationalHealth #TeamDynamics

Even the smartest teams fall apart when dysfunction takes root. I've seen it happen again and again in 15+ years leading People & Culture teams. The hardest part? Most teams don't realize dysfunction is happening until the damage is already done. Patrick Lencioni—author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and one of the foremost experts on organizational health—defines the core dysfunctions that quietly sabotage team performance: 1. Absence of Trust 2. Fear of Conflict 3. Lack of Commitment 4. Avoidance of Accountability 5. Inattention to Results Without awareness, these patterns quietly erode trust, performance, and culture. But they aren't inevitable. With the right leadership, every dysfunction has a solution: Build trust by going first—share failures, ask for feedback, and model vulnerability. Normalize healthy conflict—create space for debate and disagreement without fear. Close every meeting with clear decisions and next steps—because ambiguity kills momentum. Set expectations together—then hold each other to them, no matter the title. Celebrate team wins before individual ones—what gets recognized, gets repeated. This isn't about trust falls or forced bonding. It's about creating a culture where real talk, shared ownership, and collective success are the norm. Which dysfunction have you seen most, and has anything been done to fix it?