5 Dysfunctions of a Team: Workshops & Retreats

Understanding the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model

Is your team struggling to reach its full potential? It's a common challenge, but one that can be overcome with the right approach.

Effective teamwork and communication are crucial for business success, yet many teams face obstacles such as communication breakdowns, lack of trust, and internal conflicts. This is where the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team model comes into play.

What are the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team?

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Image courtesy of Bitesize Learning

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team model, pioneered by author Patrick Lencioni, identifies five common pitfalls that can undermine team effectiveness:

  1. Absence of Trust: When team members are hesitant to be vulnerable and open with one another.
  2. Fear of Conflict: Avoiding healthy debates and discussions, leading to artificial harmony.
  3. Lack of Commitment: Failing to buy into team decisions and goals.
  4. Avoidance of Accountability: Shying away from responsibility and holding others accountable in place.
  5. Inattention to Results: Focusing on individual goals rather than collective team objectives.

These dysfunctions can erode team cohesion and hinder productivity, making it challenging for teams to achieve their full potential.

The dysfunctions are stacked — one can only be mastered after the dysfunctions below it on the pyramid are addressed. Teams struggling with a certain dysfunction are likely dealing with the dysfunctions stacked on top.

Benefits of a 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Workshop or Retreat

The 5 dysfunctions can be deeply rooted in your company’s culture and practices — addressing them requires a structured approach that goes beyond surface-level solutions. With highly sensitive topics such as vulnerability and trust at the basis, you know a half-hour team meeting isn’t going to cut it!

This is where workshops or retreats using the 5 Dysfunctions model can make a significant impact. Here are some key benefits:

Facilitated Discussion and Assessment:
The first step is to know where you stand. Workshops provide a platform for team members to openly discuss their challenges and identify areas of dysfunction. Facilitators guide these discussions and help teams uncover underlying issues that may be hindering their performance. You don’t have to be an expert in the 5 dysfunctions — your facilitator is! And they know how to guide your team to greater understanding, application, and openness.
Building Trust and Rapport:
Activities designed to foster trust among team members are integral to the workshop experience. Through interactive exercises, teams learn to communicate more effectively and develop stronger bonds. As a bonus, this helps to strengthen and solve for the first dysfunction, the absence of trust.
Establishing Commitment and Accountability:
Setting clear goals and expectations is essential for driving team commitment. Workshops help teams define their objectives and create actionable plans to achieve them. Moreover, workshops emphasize the importance of holding team members accountable for their actions, fostering a culture of responsibility and ownership.
Driving Results:
Ultimately, the goal of any team is to deliver results. By aligning team efforts with organizational objectives and monitoring progress closely, workshops help teams stay focused on what truly matters. They encourage a results-oriented mindset and provide teams with the tools and strategies they need to succeed.

Book a 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Workshop:

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The Workshop Includes:

  • The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team assessment for the entire team
  • Leader training and preparation for the workshop
  • 2 or 4-hour interactive workshop with the entire team
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In-Person or Virtual Workshops & Retreats

Workshops and retreats may be conducted:

  • Virtually via Zoom
  • Onsite at your organization
  • At a local venue 

The client covers travel and accommodation costs.

Contact Tracy