Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Must Read for Every Construction Team
A while back I was recommended this book by a senior colleague who professed the applicability it has to construction. Years on, I still think back to the principles put forth in this book when trying to get the most out of a team.
The typical construction project requires lots of people working together to reach a common goal. However, almost every person has a different expertise, each vital in the success. Furthermore, not all members may be of the same company (subbies, suppliers and designers). While the client, contractor and subbies all want to build the same thing, their measures of success all differ. This complex environment makes effective collaboration, communication and teamwork all the more vital for success.
In his renowned book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni dissects the common pitfalls that hinder team effectiveness. His findings are supported by the latest research. However, what sets this book apart is that it is delivered through a narrative structure of a fictional corporate team working together. This allows the dry research papers and statistical data to come to life with relatable characters and scenarios that are all too familiar with what we encounter daily.
This is a must read for any member of any project team wanting to make the most of the collective brain power, experience and expertise assembled on every project team by enhancing the synergy of which the team works.
Synergy is when the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Which is the perfect way to describe a team that is firing on all cylinders.
The five dysfunctions Lencioni discusses are:
Absence of Trust:
Imagine a team where members tiptoe around each other, afraid to reveal their vulnerabilities. Trust is the bedrock of any successful team. Without it, communication falters, and collaboration becomes a mere facade.
Fear of Conflict:
Healthy conflict is not about shouting matches or personal attacks. It’s about passionate debates that lead to better decisions. Teams that avoid conflict end up with watered-down solutions and missed opportunities.
Lack of Commitment:
Ever been part of a team where decisions are made, but no one truly commits? That’s the third dysfunction. Commitment requires clarity, alignment, and a shared sense of purpose. Without it, progress stalls.
Avoidance of Accountability:
When team members dodge responsibility, chaos ensues. Accountability means owning up to mistakes, delivering on promises, and holding each other to high standards. Without accountability, mediocrity prevails.
Inattention to Results:
A team’s ultimate goal is success. Yet, some teams prioritize individual egos or departmental interests over collective achievements. The fifth dysfunction reminds us to keep our eyes on the prize—results that matter.
Climbing the Pyramid
Lencioni visualizes these dysfunctions as a pyramid, with trust forming the foundation. Each layer builds upon the one below and overcoming one dysfunction paves the way for tackling the next. Here’s how we ascend:
Build Trust:
Foster open communication, vulnerability, and genuine connections. Trust your teammates to have your back.
Embrace Healthy Conflict: Encourage robust discussions. Disagreements are not threats; they’re stepping stones to better solutions.
Commit Wholeheartedly:
Once decisions are made, rally behind them. Commitment fuels action and propels the team forward.
Hold Each Other Accountable:
Set clear expectations and call out deviations. Accountability ensures progress.
Champion Collective Results:
Celebrate wins together. Remember, it’s not about individual glory; it’s about what the team achieves.
In Construction
Patrick Lencioni’s insights remind us that teams are more than a sum of their parts. They’re ecosystems where trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results intertwine.
This couldn’t be more true with construction, where each team member bring their own knowledge, experience and understanding to the table. Each member has valuable insight in their expertise, and/or their scope of responsibility. Therefore, all members from the most junior to senior are needed to make informed decisions, and implement the decisions made. How they work together to collaborate and communicate can and often does decide the outcome of a project.
How many projects have encountered serious mistakes due to a lack of communication because an engineer didn’t talk to a Supervisor, or a planner wasn’t aware of an issue in a Leading Hand was encountering? Worse still, how many times have we seen project team members not ‘buy into’ the game plan because they feel that their opinions and concerns aren’t heard? How many times is it “all night shift’s fault”, or “the other swing’s fault”, or “the Estimator’s fault”? The list goes on and on…
Construction is a game where we really can’t do it by ourselves. The strength of our teams are the measure of our success and this book can help us to get our teams closer to their potential.
