Are you leading a dysfunctional team?
Jeffrey Bewley, Dairy Tech Services Manager, PerforMix Nutrition Systems
“Not finance. Not strategy.
Not technology. It is teamwork
that remains the ultimate
competitive advantage, both
because it is so powerful and so
rare.” --Recently, I read the book The
Five Dysfunctions of a Team:
A Leadership Fable by Patrick
Lencioni. Throughout the book,
I found that there were several
lessons that could be applied
to a dairy operation. Although
geared more toward Fortune
500 executive, it doesn’t take
much imagination to envision
the challenges of dairy business
management while perusing this
popular book.
In The Five Dysfunctions of a
Team, Patrick Lencioni takes a
different approach to chronicling
the challenges of leadership
PROGRESSIVE
DAIRYMAN
“
Not finance. Not strategy. Not
technology. It is teamwork that remains
the ultimate competitive advantage, both
because it is so powerful and so rare.
through a fictional tale of
Decision Tech, and its new
leader, Kathryn Peterson. The
fable’s lead character, Kathryn, is
faced with an unending series of
challenges soon after taking the
realm of a struggling company.
As the story unfolds,
Lenioni reveals each of the “five
dysfunctions: and how Kathryn
handles them. By providing a
real-life parable to demonstrate
how to effectively build a team,
the author is able to demonstrate
how a successful leader can
implement the principles outline
in Table 1 on the back page.
Perhaps just as important,
readers are also provided insight
into the group dynamics of a
typical management team. In
this manner, any of us who have
ever been a part of a team, can
identify with the challenges and
hardships that the Decision Tech
management team faces.
Upon examining the five
”
dysfunctions, you will see that
these are all normal human
behaviors that routinely impede
progress and success. Each
foundation builds upon another.
The foundation of dysfunction
is a lack of trust (Dysfunction
#1). If people don’t trust each
other, they are not apt fully
express themselves. As a result,
they will avoid conflict rather
than settle it (Dysfunction
Continued on back page
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Are you leading a dysfunctional team?, cont’d from front
#2). When people do not solve
these potential conflicts, they
tend to remain on their own
individual team and not fully
commit to decisions made by
the group (Dysfunction #3).
Consequently, it is a challenge to
hold each other accountable for
individual actions (Dysfunction
#4). Finally, if people are not
held accountable, they tend to
lose their focus on the desired
results (Dysfunction #5). If one
dysfunction occurs, he rest fall
like dominoes and teamwork
deteriorates.
“
Do you ever feel like meetings are a
waste of time because people only talk
about doing things and nothing ever
actually gets done?
entire dairy team which
encompasses all employees that
work on the dairy on a daily
basis.
Does any of this sound
familiar to you? Do your dairy’s
teams succumb to any of the
five dysfunctions? Perhaps,
you are not sure how to define
a dairy’s teams. In most cases,
a typical dairy likely has
three teams: (1) an advisory
team, possibly consisting of
the manager, veterinarian,
nutritionist, extension specialist,
banker, accountant, and any
other consultant, (2) a dairy
management team that could
include the manager, herdsman,
feeder, and other managementlevel employees, and (3) the
Table 1
Dysfunction
Does everyone on your
dairy advisory team trust each
other? Often, these individuals
do not know each other or
they bring their own agenda
when coming to a meeting.
A veterinarian I work closely
with begins each of our dairy
advisory team meetings by
reminding us to “check our egos
at the door.” Easier said than
done, admittedly, but necessary
for a successful meeting.
Are members of your dairy’s
management team willing and
encouraged to present their
own ideas openly and freely?
For many, particularly those in
”
subordinate positions, conflict is
unnatural and uncomfortable.
However, it is important
to establish an environment
where employees are ready
to participate in open debate,
realizing that it may be
necessary to “agree to disagree”
at the end of the discussion. Do
you ever feel like meetings are
a waste of time because people
only talk about doing things and
nothing ever actually gets done?
This attitude may be rooted in
a lack of commitment to your
dairy. At the conclusion of each
team meeting, decisions and
assignments should be reviewed
to ensure they are completed.
Do you hold employees
accountable for tasks they
have been assigned? Explicitly
The five dysfunctions of a team and how to
overcome them.
Strategy to overcome
Dysfunction #1
Absence of trust
• Identify and discuss individual strengths and
weaknesses
• Spend time together in meetings
Dysfunction #2
Fear of conflict
• Recognize that conflict is a necessary component for
progress
• Understand how people react in a conflict
• Establish ground rules for conflict
Dysfunction #3
Lack of commitment
• Review commitments at the end of meetings to ensure
everyone is on the same page
• Adopt a “disagree and commit” mentality to ensure
that everyone is committed to decisions regardless of
their initial position
Dysfunction #4
Avoidance of accountability
• Communicate goals and standards for behavior
• Compare performance versus goals and standards
Dysfunction #5
Inattention to results
• Maintain focus on tangible results
• Establish rewards based on team goals and success
PROGRESSIVE
DAIRYMAN
communicating goals is key to
maintaining accountability in
your operation. Are members
of your respective dairy
teams focused on results and
common goals? If not, it may be
necessary to consider setting
SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Relevant, and
Timely) goals and then
rewarding the TEAM (Together
Everyone Accomplishes More)
when success is attained.
So, what is holding your
dairy back from reaching that
elusive next level? Maybe it’s
not nutrition. Not genetics.
Not reproduction. Not milk
pricing. Not facilities. In the
words of Patrick Lencioni, “it
is team work that remains the
ultimate competitive advantage,
both because it is so powerful
and so rare.” Take a look at the
dairy operations you admire
and aspire to be like. Chances
are they are characterized by a
management team that trusts
each other, and that is willing to
engage in productive conflict,
committed to accomplishment,
accountable for their actions,
and focused on results. As
a leader and manager, it is
your responsibility to take
an introspective look that
determines if your teams exhibit
any of the five dysfunctions. You
may even want to pick up a copy
of The Five Dysfunctions of a
Team: A Leadership Fable by
Patrick Lencioni to help you in
this analysis. PD
PROGRESSIVE
DAIRYMAN
Reprinted from August 2004
PO Box 585 • Jerome, ID 83338-0585 • 208.324.7513 or 800.320.1424 • Fax 208.324.1133