Overcome the Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Based on Patrick Lencioni’s best-selling book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, this workshop provides a structured framework to diagnose and address the common obstacles that prevent teams from performing at their best.

The model is presented as a pyramid, with each dysfunction building upon the one below it. Teams learn how to systematically overcome these five dysfunctions to become more cohesive, engaged, and results-oriented:

1. Absence of Trust – The inability to be vulnerable within the team.
2. Fear of Conflict – Avoiding productive, open debate around ideas.
3. Lack of Commitment – Ambiguity around decisions that hinders progress.
4. Avoidance of Accountability – Hesitancy to call out behaviors that impede team success.
5. Inattention to Results – Prioritizing individual or departmental goals over collective success.

Through facilitated exercises and discussions, participants explore the roots of these dysfunctions and co-create strategies to build trust, engage in constructive conflict, commit fully to decisions, hold each other accountable, and focus on collective results.

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Benefits & measurable improvements

• Build Trust and Psychological Safety: Develop vulnerability-based trust that encourages openness and candor.
• Improve Decision-Making: Engage in healthy conflict that surfaces better ideas and avoids groupthink.
• Drive Accountability: Create a culture where team members hold each other responsible for performance and behavior.
• Increase Alignment and Focus on Results: Shift attention from individual agendas to shared objectives.
• Measurable Outcomes:
  • Higher levels of reported trust and collaboration in post-workshop feedback.
  • Faster decision-making and clearer follow-through on commitments.
  • Increased accountability and alignment on team goals observed in follow-up sessions.
  • Improved team performance and productivity linked to reduced silos and stronger cohesion.

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Science and Foundations

While not rooted in psychometric testing, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team draws upon principles from organizational behavior, group dynamics, and leadership research:

• Builds on Tuckman’s stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, performing) and related team effectiveness research.
• Supported by evidence from the fields of psychological safety (Amy Edmondson) and trust in organizations (Stephen M.R. Covey), which underpin the importance of vulnerability and accountability.
• Widely adopted in leadership development programs and executive team interventions, reinforcing its practical applicability and credibility as a tool for transforming team performance.

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Who it’s for

• Senior leadership teams or management teams (4–12 members) working closely together.
• Teams experiencing conflict avoidance, lack of alignment, or unclear accountability.
• Organizations seeking to improve leadership cohesion and drive execution on strategic goals.

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Format

• Preparation: 1–2 days of preparation to assess the team’s current state and gather input to tailor the sessions.
• Workshop Options:
  • Two-day retreat: An immersive experience focused on deep team-building and practical application of the model.
  • Series of 12 work sessions: In-depth exploration of each dysfunction over time to drive lasting cultural shifts and behavioral change.
• Session Structure:
  • Introduction to the Five Dysfunctions (30 min): Framework overview and context.
  • Trust-Building Exercises (1–2 hours): Establishing vulnerability-based trust.
  • Conflict and Commitment Workshops (2–3 hours): Practicing productive debate and decision alignment.
  • Accountability and Results Focus (2 hours): Developing shared standards and reinforcing collective goals.
• Delivery: In-person is ideal for impact but available virtually using interactive facilitation tools.
• Language: English or French.

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