Business Teams Go BadWhy

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. . . and what you can do about it.

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What happens when teams become

dysfunctional?

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What happens when teams become

dysfunctional?Bad decisions

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What happens when teams become

dysfunctional?Bad decisions

Poor morale

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What happens when teams become

dysfunctional?Bad decisions

Poor morale

Unacceptable cycle times

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What happens when teams become

dysfunctional?Bad decisions

Poor morale

Unacceptable cycle times

Stuck and over-budget projects

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Here are the top FIVE dysfunctions…

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How to identify them…

Here are the top FIVE dysfunctions…

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How to identify them…

And what to do about them.

Here are the top FIVE dysfunctions…

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Ready?

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Dysfunction Number 1:

“Foggy mountain breakdown.”

The organization itself is not clear on how it wants decisions to be made by the team.

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What does it

look like?

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• It is not clear if the team is recommending or deciding.

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• It is not clear if the team is recommending or deciding.

• Management wants the team to come up with the idea management already has picked.

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• It is not clear if the team is recommending or deciding.

• Management wants the team to come up with the idea management already has picked.

• There are wrong answers, but the team has not been told what they are.

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• It is not clear if the team is recommending or deciding.

• Management wants the team to come up with the idea management already has picked.

• There are wrong answers, but the team has not been told what they are.

• Individual team members are expected to fight for their own functional role or position.

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What can you do?

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• Get a sponsor.

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• Get a sponsor. • Charter the team.

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• Get a sponsor. • Charter the team.• Create and agree on decision-making matrices.

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Dysfunction Number 2:

“Six blind men and an elephant.”

The team has not effectively scoped out the decision at hand,

and each team member is making a different decision.

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What does it look like?

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• The group appears to be deciding six things at once.

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• The group appears to be deciding six things at once.

• Lots of wheel-spinning and people talking about the same issue in different ways.

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• The group appears to be deciding six things at once.

• Lots of wheel-spinning and people talking about the same issue in different ways.

• Confusion reigns!

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What can you do?

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• Bring up the issue and get all points of view out on the table.

• Good graphic recording helps here.

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• Bring up the issue and get all points of view out on the table.

• Good graphic recording helps here.

• Frame the issues as questions. • “Which vendor are we going to use?” • “What are the criteria we will use to select a vendor?” • “What will we put in the document?”

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Dysfunction Number 3:

“Alone again, naturally.”

The team has not effectively involved pertinent stakeholders in

the decision making process.

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What does it look like?

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• Decisions are highly politicized. Involved parties can lobby to get a decision they do not like overturned.

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• Decisions are highly politicized. Involved parties can lobby to get a decision they do not like overturned.

• Implementation is delayed or derailed because people don’t like the plan.

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• Decisions are highly politicized. Involved parties can lobby to get a decision they do not like overturned.

• Implementation is delayed or derailed because people don’t like the plan.

• A “final” decision gets re-opened, and re-opened, and re-opened…..

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• Decisions are highly politicized. Involved parties can lobby to get a decision they do not like overturned.

• Implementation is delayed or derailed because people don’t like the plan.

• A “final” decision gets re-opened, and re-opened, and re-opened…..

• Frustration reigns!

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What can you do?

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• Make a thorough stakeholder analysis of key decisions.

• Involve all appropriate stakeholders and tell them how and when they’ll be involved.

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Dysfunction Number 4:

“Physician, heal thyself.”

The team itself is not clear on its own decision-making process

(internal to the team, or external with stakeholders).

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What does it look like?

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• Consensus paralysis.

• Lack of flexibility, meaning everyone must be involved in everything.

• Inability to move on (particularly on process issues).

• Frustration!

• Attempts to gather input from stakeholders do not result in buy in.

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What can you do?

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• Understand the Levels of Involvement.

• Ask “who is making this decision?”

• Let people know how input will be used.

• Close the loop with people once their input has been given.

• Delegate minor decisions.

• Set a fallback and a time limit for consensus.

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Dysfunction Number 5:

“Fire! Ready. Aim?”

The team is deciding on a solution without having agreed on the

problem.

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What does it look like?

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• Lots of resistance that feels unreasonable.

• Hidden agendas.

• People are in “violent” agreement.

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What can you do?

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• Get agreement on the problem before agreeing on the solution.

• Ask “what is the problem that this solution will address?”

• Position recommendations and suggestions in terms of the problems they will solve.

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There are MANY MORE dysfunctions your teams may exhibit.

There are MANY MORE dysfunctions your teams may exhibit.