I recently had the opportunity to working with a group of strong leaders who where struggling with the challenges of building a cohesive team.  It wasn’t surprising to anyone when they got the report back from the online 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment.  The results were low on four of the five dysfunctions.  

Their organization systemically encouraged operating in silos and through the use of individual style assessments, it was clear that the individuals were not by nature ones who were inclined to working together in a team setting.   In the words of one member, “We get the results in spite of ourselves.”  Thus on the surface they had “two strikes” against them. However, each one recognized the value and synergies of building and committing to working as a team.  More importantly, they had a leader who was willing to admit her mistakes and be vulnerable in front of the team.  With her modeling, each one slowly began to open up more about themselves, their needs and their values.  For the first time the team was able to discuss a highly emotional situation and come to a conclusion.  This represents just the beginning for them in their quest to become a cohesive team.

Team builders will, at one time or another, face the challenge of fostering group harmony in groups where there is inevitably going to be flaws due to human nature. According to author Patrick Lencioni, human beings are inherently dysfunctional. Too often, leaders try to unite dysfunctional teams. Therefore, team builders must recognize and drive groups to overcome certain behavioral tendencies, many of which are negative and can bring down an entire organization.

The purpose of our program is to align the team under a common vision and direction while taking into account different objectives and needs. As stated in the Participant Material of Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the objective is simple: To make substantial progress to becoming a more cohesive team.

1-Focus International is using the workshop material and assessment based on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Program may appear to be a two-three day workshop, but it is, in fact, based on practical needs and results. It has been designed by the author of the book to provide a structure and methodology for senior teams to become high performing. It is based on a simple and proven model using exercises that Fortune 500 companies have found useful.

For an excellent review of both the book AND the model check out this posting from the Practice of Leadership Blog.