This is the third of a five part series on high performance teamwork, based on the book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. The five major dysfunctions that Lencioni has identified, which is backed up by the research are:
*Absence of Trust
*Fear of Conflict
*Lack of Commitment
*Avoidance of Accountability
*Inattention to Results
Establishing trust and creating a culture where constructive conflictis valued were the topics of the first two installments of this series. Once you have that, you can really go places as a team. However, a lack of commitment from even one person can be a cancer that spreads throughout a team. Here are some things you can do to build commitment:
*Hire for mission commitment. Make sure that people are excited about your purpose. FYI – this is not just a “nonprofit” thing. I recently heard the CEOs of both Pepsi and Deloitte discuss the importance of purpose during their visits with us at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
*Role model your mission commitment and acknowledge it in others. Be a leader!
*Keep the vision for the future alive. Remind people where you are going! You cannot remind people often enough of the future you are creating together.
*Make sure that every person understands their role in helping to accomplish the mission and vision. They need to understand “why am I here?”
Commitment to mission within a team that trusts one another and can engage in constructive conflict put you on a great path. Stay tuned for tips on overcoming the final two dysfunctions so you can build a team that makes a breakthrough Mission Impact.
