Interviews
Author Essay
Overcoming Team Politics and Dysfunction
Because teams are made up of human beings with various agendas and frailties, many teams are easily susceptible to politics and inefficiency, especially within organizations. From first-line management teams to the executive suite, teams of all types experience some level of dysfunction and politics.
Fortunately, the causes of team dysfunction and politics are both understandable and curable. However, these problems don't die easily. Making a team functional and cohesive requires levels of courage and discipline that many groups simply cannot muster.
To better understand the level of dysfunction that may plague your team, ask yourself these simple questions:
- Do team members hold back their opinions?
- Do team meetings tend to be boring?
- Does the pursuit of consensus bog down your team?
- Do team members hesitate to call each other on their shortcomings?
- Do team members put their own goals and interests ahead of those of the team?
Although no team is perfect and even the best teams sometimes struggle with one or more of these issues, the finest organizations constantly work to ensure that their answers are no. Focusing on these issues helps any team benefit from the extraordinary power of true teamwork.
If you answered yes to many of these questions, your team is probably experiencing some level of dysfunction. The beginning steps in overcoming these issues within your organization are understanding that there are five dysfunctions and addressing them.
Building and sustaining a functional and cohesive team is not easy however, the rewards are significant. Functional teams avoid wasting time talking about the wrong issues and revisiting the same topics over and over again because of lack of buy-in. Additionally, functional teams accomplish more in less time and with less distraction and frustration. Finally, "A" players rarely leave organizations when they are part of a cohesive team.
Ironically, as desirable as these qualities are, they continue to remain elusive, making teamwork even more powerful. The fact is, in this age of nanosecond competitive advantage and instant commoditization, building a strong team remains one of the few opportunities for sustainable and significant differentiation, one that every organization should covet. (Patrick M. Lencioni)