7 Signs of a Dysfunctional Team

Chances are, if you’ve served on very many teams, that you’ve served on one that is dysfunctional. It appears to me that we have many to choose from in the organizational world.  A dysfunctional team in simple terms is one that cannot operate at peak efficiency and performance because of a combination of negative characteristics.

If you have been on a dysfunctional team, then you’ve probably seen one or more of of the common traits found among a dysfunctional team. They do have commonalities.

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Elements of a Healthy Team

I have written all week about team idleness. Check out more of the posts on the home page of this blog.  I thought it was equally important to share some thoughts about what makes up a healthy team. Obviously that is our goal. Here are some quick elements of healthy teams:

Agreed upon mission: everyone knows where the organization wants to go and what a win looks like.

Right people: The people on the team are the correct fit for the role they have been assigned and have the proper training to complete their assignment.

Ample resources: Regardless of the awesomeness of a team, if the team lacks adequate resources it will never achieve its full potential. (Take it from a former small business owner…no matter how good your employees are cash is king!)

Consistent pace: Healthy teams can’t move too fast or they burnout. If they move to slow they stagnate. There will always be highs and lows with any team, but healthy teams find the right balance for the team and find ways to continue to grow.

Accountability: Teams fail when no one holds the members accountable for success. There are very few people who can continue to function well without a structure in place to insure consistent progress.

Healthy teams reach their full potential and guard against team idleness. Here’s my challenge for you and I to build healthy teams.

What suggestions do you have for building healthy teams?

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YOUR BUSINESS MUST REFLECT WHO YOU ARE

Most entrepreneurs are way ahead of big business when it comes to being close to their values, and I'll bet you have a really good idea of what values and philosophies you've based your business on -- am I right?

You decided when you started your business that it was going to fit you, and be a good match for the way you live your life. But do you really use your values to help guide

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THE FOCUS OF LEADERSHIP

American newspaper commentator Walter Lippmann defined leaders as "the custodians of a nation's ideals, the beliefs it cherishes, of its permanent hopes, of the faith which makes a nation

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WALK YOUR TALK

“That’ll be $27.49, please,” requested the cashier of the local department store. Startled by the amount, I hesitated before reaching into my wallet for the money. That can’t be correct, I calculated. The three items definitely come closer to $45.00. Yep, I know what happened. She overlooked one and only counted the other two. Since everything’s already in the bag, I could just pay and walk out with one freebie. After all, it was her mistake, not mine! Besides, no one is watching…

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EIGHT WAYS YOU CAN BEGIN TO THINK MORE CREATIVELY

EIGHT WAYS YOU CAN BEGIN TO THINK MORE CREATIVELY

Look at it differently

Re-state or re-phrase a problem in as many ways as possible.  Initial approaches usually draw from past experiences.  A new approach may lead to a new solution.

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Six leadership principles for productive development

WHAT PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?

The Pareto Principle:  This concept, also known as the 80/20 principle, recognizes that 80 % of an organization’s outputs or results generally come from 20% of its customer base, 20% of its services and/or 20% of its resource base.  Realizing that “good is the enemy of great,” an individual or team may wish to:

v  Identify the most impactful programs or ministries and quit offering services that have little

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