via Jeff Bussgang
Excellent post from Jeff concerning dysfunctioning teams, based on a book from P. Lencioni – Five disfucntions of a Team. Patrick Lencioni lists the five main issues that can araise within a team, and how to combat them:
- Inattention to Results
- Avoidance of Accountability
- Lack of Commitment
- Fear of Conflict
- Absence of Trust
Jeff is then emphasizing the impact of fearing confllicts within an organization.
[…] Again and again, I see management teams and boards of directors shy away from conflict. It is quite natural for humans to avoid conflict. In fact, our deeply programmed “fight or flight” instincts are designed to protect ourselves and run away when we sense danger. Interpersonal conflict is a danger we all prefer to avoid as it makes us uncomfortable. […]
Here are a few techniques I’ve found help address this issue, particularly in start-ups. [more information in the post]
- Building Trust
- Annual Reviews
- Systematic Post Mortems
- Go Direct
[…] Conflict can be stressful, draining and uncomfortable. Yet, it is incredibly natural, healthy part of life, particularly in a start-up. And creating a culture that can handle conflict effectively clearly has a positive impact on performance.
Whole post is definitely worth a read ;-)