5 reasons teams fail.

1. Absence of trust  

Solution: Create an environment that does not punish vulnerability.  

Exercise: The leader has to show vulnerability first in team exercises. 

As a team, name the biggest contribution each team member makes.

As a team, name an improvement each team member can make to better the team. 

2. Fear of Conflict   

Solution: Healthy conflict is a time saver. Avoiding conflict causes cycles of revisiting issues without resolution.    

The leader must be an objective miner of conflict. Extracting sensitive issues, forces teams to resolve conflict. 

Exercise: The leader can use, "The 3P’s", method in meetings. 

Using the third, "P", in the method to objectively introduce healthy conflict.  

Progress: What have we accomplished in the last week? 

Plans: What are our upcoming plans for the next week? 

Problems: What challenges are we facing as a team? 

3. Lack of Commitment  

Solution: Clarity. 

Leaders should provide a clear company vision.

Clear tasks and goals for the team.

Clear deadlines for the team.  

4. Avoidance of Accountability

Solution:  Regular progress reviews. 

Exercise: Using the first "P", in "The 3P’s", method in meetings.

Progress: What have we accomplished in the last week? 

Plans: What are our upcoming plans for the next week? 

Problems: What challenges are we facing as a team? 

Fear of letting team members down will form culture of accountability.

This will create a willingness of team members to call out their peers. Improving behaviour and performance. 

The leader must not be only source of discipline. The leader must be ultimate discipline. Only if team members fail to point out a lack of accountability.  

5. Inattention to Results 

Solution: The leader should publicly declare results. 

If a team senses the leader is not focused on results they will take it as permission to do the same.  

Reward teams based on performance. It is vital to not reward bad results. 

Derived from:

Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

Article: The 3 P's - Lyft’s 3P's ritual . Can we found on Codia.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to share feedback or advise, as leadership is about constantly learning. If you enjoyed the content, please do like and share. You can visit my website . It has links to all of my content platforms. 

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