The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (2002)

The introduction asserts that we learn more effectively by losing ourselves in a story, and I agree. It asserts that genuine teamwork remains elusive and describes the 5 dysfunctions that build on one another. 1. Absence of Trust 2. Fear of Conflict 3. Lack of Commitment 4. Avoidance of Accountability 5. Inattention to Results. Everyone will see themselves in the story and can benefit from the guidance given. ( )

Half of a review: The fable kept my attention but I ran out of library time before finishing the rest. Maybe some other time... the premise seemed reasonable. ( )

3.5 stars.

This is a remarkably well written book (with regards to structure, not necessarily language). Many management/business books are written so dry, with anecdotal examples or pages of statistics and studies... this book starts with a fictional account of someone creating a team and working on the 5 eponymous dysfunctions. The story is painfully simplistic, but there is no way to include every facet of a problem (or more than a handful of problems).

After the instructive "fable,", the book then lists out each dysfunction, what happens or what a team looks like when a team is functional or dysfunctional with regards to that specific trait, what a team member can do to help, and how the team leader can help.

It's nice that the book discusses, in detail, each of the five problem areas and how people in different functions can work on it.

Some of the book is common sense, but then again, common sense isn't as common as it should be, and people could all use a primer on things they may not be seeing.

Unfortunately, I think the book is not suited to every type of team. The team best suited to this type of system/suggestions in the book would have to be middle-management and above (therefore better for an upper management that is managing people with a little more drive and maybe more intellectual). I say this because it feels like it needs the team members to be more intellectually inclined than a middle-manager's (possibly) entry level minions, and it also assumes that the manager has a pretty substantial amount of power (with regards to promotion/demotion/firing) that you don't necessarily see a lot of.

With all of that in mind, I can see why it is that the HR trainer I have taken classes with recommends this book, and this book is not a total waste of time (which is a better standing than I can give most management books I've read). ( )

3.5 stars.

This is a remarkably well written book (with regards to structure, not necessarily language). Many management/business books are written so dry, with anecdotal examples or pages of statistics and studies... this book starts with a fictional account of someone creating a team and working on the 5 eponymous dysfunctions. The story is painfully simplistic, but there is no way to include every facet of a problem (or more than a handful of problems).

After the instructive "fable,", the book then lists out each dysfunction, what happens or what a team looks like when a team is functional or dysfunctional with regards to that specific trait, what a team member can do to help, and how the team leader can help.

It's nice that the book discusses, in detail, each of the five problem areas and how people in different functions can work on it.

Some of the book is common sense, but then again, common sense isn't as common as it should be, and people could all use a primer on things they may not be seeing.

Unfortunately, I think the book is not suited to every type of team. The team best suited to this type of system/suggestions in the book would have to be middle-management and above (therefore better for an upper management that is managing people with a little more drive and maybe more intellectual). I say this because it feels like it needs the team members to be more intellectually inclined than a middle-manager's (possibly) entry level minions, and it also assumes that the manager has a pretty substantial amount of power (with regards to promotion/demotion/firing) that you don't necessarily see a lot of.

With all of that in mind, I can see why it is that the HR trainer I have taken classes with recommends this book, and this book is not a total waste of time (which is a better standing than I can give most management books I've read). ( )

Good book for teaching concepts in an interesting manner. My only complaint is the convenient manner in which everything worked out in the end. It should have included a chapter or section on resolving conflict between team members who are at uncompromising ends of a decision besides leading to one quitting or getting fired. That aside, it is still an informative read - and quick - without making you want to take a nap in the middle. I would definitely recommend it to anyone working on a team, whether they're the leader or just a member. ( )