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Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team Book Report

¶ … Dysfunctions of a Team Teamwork is an aspect that is not only necessary but also quite efficient in ensuring that the objectives and goals of an organization come to pass. It entails a lot that must be rev0iewed to build a cohesive framework which is effective for reasons of ascertaining the importance of good team work. Patrick Lanceoni on his book "the Five Dysfunctions of A team," undertakes an intimation into issues that are likely and also majorly characteristic of a failed organization, ministry or any other form of a group that is bound by a common intention or goal. For an organization's goals or objectives to be materially achieved, great attention has to be paid on these five aspects of dysfunctions of a team. A team's success and achievement is a manifestation of a teamwork that can only be achieved if these issues as enumerated by Patrick are given close attention. These include the following:

Absence of trust among the team members. A success is inevitable if the team members trust one another on the various tasks they are mandated to. These should manifests itself through emotional and fundamental level, exhibiting an aspect of vulnerability with each other as regards to their mistakes, weaknesses, fears and behaviors. The level of team members openness to each other is shown here. The second dysfunction is fear of conflict. A passionate dialogue is a genuine example of a team that that me3mbers trust one another.

Decisions and actions that are important to the organization's work and success must be deliberated upon, with members showing disagreements, challenging one another and prompting to question the actions of others. Good and sober answers and solutions are likely to emanate from such existence and set up. Psychologically, at least, according to Rein Descartes, good answers and judgment are derived when we doubt the rationalities of others actions, which triggers mind questions with the view of getting good answers. Dysf9unction number three involves lack of commitment among the members of the team. Commitment is an issue that regards the 3 level of dedication, with which each of the team member has injected into the success and achievement of the objectives. When team members engage in unfiltered disagreements, there are high chances of buying -- in effective decisions and ideas that are necessary for the performance of that team. The main reason behind such a unique aspect of injecting a team success is primarily because, such disagreements open the room for the ideas and opinions that the m embers have are tabled. The criticality of this is that it ensures building of the members' confidence in the ideas and opinions they deem efficacious to be listened and considered. Accountability of every member in a team in the exercise and operation of the team is necessary. When this aspect is not there it weakens the effectiveness of the team. Teams must commit to decisions and standards of how they perform. Every member's adherence to such standards is most important for a cohesive framework. The team leader should not be seen as the only source of accountability. The last dysfunction is inattention to results. The result of the team is deemed more important as opposed to those of individuals within the team. Individual aspirations must not inflict failure or harm on the intentions of the team. To overcome these dysfunctions behavioral profiling, building of trust among team members is inevitable.

Concrete Response

I had volunteered to work as a member of the National Youth Service in my country. It did not really amuse me when we portioned into groups, with different responsibilities allocated for us. The main mission was to integrate the importance of community service with our knowledge of attending to others in need. It was left for us to device our own frameworks of achieving our roles,...

It was obvious problems were waiting for us in our duty. This was to test our level of constructing a cohesive team that pertinently could achieve its mandate. Problems began when we opted to design our own distinct goals and objective with a chunk of us going completely outside our mandated task. It was difficult to ignore what others had to say as we sought of discover or find out the precise and relevant goals. We had to listen and debate on every issue that was brought on to the table. Unfiltered conflicts and disagreements could not be muted, but we had to do it as a team bound by a common intention. We had to take care of the problems that arose in a much more amicable manner that promoted tolerant disagreements and conflicts while at the same time pay very good attentions to the possible outcome of such deliberations with the view of identifying the most profound ones. We went out and performed our tasks, extracting the most reasonable lessons we had learnt from the whole set up. Attending to every approach that the team members identified themselves with was paramount as we worked to maintain the sober relationship among team members while doing the right thing in accomplishing the mission. I remember at one point me telling the others….. "it is only with great sobriety that we can relevantly disagree to agree on what we are seeking…"
Reflection

The book analyses the most common dysfunctions of a team, centralizing argument in issues that only emanate from inside the team. The team can perform better but certain external issues may not ease its operations. Such external issues that may be in tandem with the internal ones ought to be exclusively enumerated since environment to certain extent has really a lot to contribute to the activities of the team. In m y own view these are some of the questions that pop in when I go through the book: what are the organizational factors that must be closely paid attention to for the team to achieve its objectives? Is the relationship between the team members and the basics upon which the operation of the team are built coherent enough? The importance of building a team in this case is induced..Yes; but how can it be sustained? This provides the framework with which to identify the fundamentals of team building which must be enhanced at all costs. It is imperative that these conflicts that emanate from the team are well sorted out, not by denaturing their existence but by encouraging their informative existence, which identifies why conflicts can be resourceful tools in decision making of a team and idea sharing. Why will it be challenging to achieve the team's goals if the external set up that does not amply build the team's objectives? This is a question which I do believe has a lot to do with identifying not only the role of a team but also the general purpose for its construction.

Action

Reading this book is important in giving my life a different but well defined direction that is logical for the achievement of tasks that lie before my ministry or responsibilities. First, it will not be diabolic to identify myself as a team on its own. I will determine my existence among other team members after defining my roles in that particular team. These action steps involve:

Observing the general importance of the mission. This is important as it will keep me relevant to the actions I take towards achieving the goals set in the team. This will call for my commitment to dedicate my energy to the success of the team as an important tool of success. The general view that a team must leave to should be to undertake its mission in the most successful manner. This thence makes it unavoidable to exercise responsibility and accountability as demands of the mission or duty.

The next action step…

Sources used in this document:
Reference

Lencioni, Patrick M. Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2005. <http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=228510userid=^u>.
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