Why Teams Fail 🤯 & How to Fix It Fast ⚡

Inspired by The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (highly recommend adding it to your reading list!)

🔐 Trust: The First to Break, the Last to Return

A dysfunctional team doesn’t get better with wishful thinking. When trust is broken, everything crumbles—results, collaboration, and momentum.
Without accountability, nothing moves forward.

And if you don't think trust amongst the team matters as long as you're productive, you're DEAD WRONG. It's just a matter of time before it blows up in your face. 

The secret to rebuilding? Small, consistent steps.
Lead by example.
Help each other.
Stay steady.
Without trust, nothing lasts.

⚠️ The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (And What To Do About Them)

Let’s break down real-life scenarios that sabotage teamwork—and practical ways to rebuild stronger than ever.

1️⃣ Absence of Trust

Scenario: A team member stays silent in meetings—even when they’re drowning. They don’t feel safe admitting they’re stuck.
Reality check: If your people can’t be vulnerable, you don’t have a team. You have a group of actors putting on a show. 🎭

Fix It Fast:

• Schedule regular “check-ins” with no agenda except honesty.

• Leaders go first—show vulnerability or don’t expect it from others.

• Zero tolerance for judgment. Period.

• Normalize asking for help before mistakes snowball.

👉 Safe teams win. Silent ones collapse.

And when trust is absent? Conflict turns toxic—or worse, it disappears completely.

2️⃣ Fear of Conflict

Scenario: Two team members disagree, but nobody addresses it. Tension brews like a pressure cooker.
Reality check: If you think avoiding conflict keeps the peace, you’re DEAD WRONG. It’s just building a bomb under the table. 💣

Fix It Fast:

• Reframe conflict: it’s not drama, it’s the pursuit of truth.

• Mediate structured conversations—focus on the vision, not egos.

• Each person speaks without interruption.

• End with a decision—don’t let issues rot.

👉 Healthy conflict sharpens. Avoidance destroys.

Avoid conflict long enough, and commitment evaporates.

3️⃣ Lack of Commitment

Scenario: The team nods in agreement but walks away checked out. No buy-in, no follow-through.
Reality check: A nod is not commitment. If you mistake silence for alignment, you’re fooling yourself. 🙄

Fix It Fast:

• Always ask: “What obstacles do you foresee?”

• Lock in who is doing what by when.

• Follow up in the next vision session—no exceptions.

👉 Talk is cheap. Commitment is action.

And when nobody’s truly committed, accountability dies next.

4️⃣ Avoidance of Accountability

Scenario: One team member skips the sterilization protocol. Everyone notices. Nobody says a word.
Reality check: If your culture says, “That’s not my job to correct,” your results are already circling the drain. 🚽

Fix It Fast:

• Write systems so expectations are crystal clear.

• Make progress visible: What’s done? What’s not? Who needs support?

• Encourage peer-to-peer check-ins, not top-down babysitting.

👉 Accountability isn’t about blame—it’s about raising the bar.

Without accountability, results don’t just slip—they vanish.

5️⃣ Inattention to Results

Scenario: The team stays “busy,” but the scoreboard is blank. No clear wins, no shared ownership.
Reality check: Busyness is not progress. If results aren’t visible, they don’t exist. 📉

Fix It Fast:

• Define success for each role and the practice as a whole.

• Share results openly—weekly in vision sessions, daily in huddles.

• Celebrate real progress, not empty activity.

👉 When wins are clear, energy soars. When they’re invisible, motivation dies.

💡 Final Thoughts: No Excuses, No Illusions

The strongest teams don’t hope problems go away—they face them head-on.

• Trust isn’t optional. It’s the foundation.

• Conflict isn’t dangerous. Silence is.

• Commitment isn’t agreement. It’s follow-through.

• Accountability isn’t policing. It’s clarity.

• Results aren’t “busy.” They’re wins you can measure and celebrate.

So stop fooling yourself: you can’t outwork, out-talk, or out-process a lack of trust. 🚫
Strong teams are built on honesty, ownership, and alignment—nothing less will last.