How implementing Agile can solve the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

Time for some sharing on today’s #wisdomwendesdays.

Sometime ago I attended a talk on the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team:

1. Absence of Trust
2. Fear of Conflict
3. Lack of Commitment
4. Avoidance of Accountability
5. Inattention to Results

The talk was based on the book by Patrick Leoncioni.

Read on as I share with you my story on how we mitigated these through the implementing a methodology of how we do things in the team.

If you have experienced any of these disfunctions, you know that without trust amongst team members, you cannot establish a culture where it is safe to raise issues and concerns.

If it isn’t safe to raise concerns, there is fear of conflict, therefore people will be afraid to fully commit to getting things done.

If there is lack of commitment, then people will naturally avoid accountability.

Without a sense of accountability, people will no longer be looking forward to achieving results.

Ultimately, people will focus on their own self interests at the expense of the business.

It’s really a pyramid, where the foundation is trust, and results are at the top of the pyramid.

Years passed and I sort of kept these at the back of mind, making sure that I try and mitigate these 5 dysfunctions throughout my career, in whatever way I can.

Only recently did it dawn on me, upon seeing a post by a gentleman named Bhanu Pratap Singh, that I have already unknowingly mitigated these through the implementation of the Agile methodology!

Let me share with you why that is so.

If you want to find out how Agile works, I talk about it in detail in Chapter 6 of my book – The Business Optimization Blueprint, where I lay it down step-by-step how this works.

The reason why it mitigates the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team is as follows.

Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust

Telltale signs: People are afraid of sharing weaknesses, admitting mistakes, or asking for help.

With Agile: The daily standup is designed in such a way that it will encourage team members to reach out to each other and discuss stuff like what they already completed, what they are going to work on next, as well as what their impediments and challenges are so that the Product Owner and/or Scrum Master can act on it accordingly.

Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict

Telltale signs: People are afraid to raise risks, issues, concerns, or even suggest better ways of doing things.

With Agile: The sprint planning, sprint review, and retrospective meetings are designed to encourage team members to talk about what needs to be worked on, what they think they are capable of working on, issues, concerns, and how the team can be better at doing things.

Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment

Telltale signs: People not committing to decisions and timelines, they feel there is lack of direction.

With Agile: Sprints are run in as short as 1 week to as long as 4 week cycles. Tasks for the duration of the Sprint are prioritized before beginning each Sprint, picked up by each team member, and they commit to completing the tasks by the end of the Sprint.

Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability

Telltale signs: People not holding each other accountable for their commitments.

With Agile: The daily standups ensure tasks are moving accordingly, impediments can be cleared, and team members can pitch in to help each other as needed. The sprint review ensures the minimum viable product committed collectively by the team is as what was discussed at the start during Sprint Planning.

Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results

Telltale signs: Team members put their own selfish pursuits first over business results driven by team effort.

With Agile: Continuous Iteration and shipping a Minimum Viable Product each sprint is what the Agile methodology is designed to do. It’s as if you have no choice but to deliver results. That’s the Agile way.

And that’s it!

I wouldn’t say that Agile is the only answer, and that it will remove all dysfunctions per se.

But if you successfully implement Agile in your organization, you stand a greater chance at success.

I hope you found this to be of value.

Feel free to check out more articles that I’ve written about my experiences with the Agile Methodology.