Study Leave Book Reflection #2

This is the second book I read on my Study Leave, one that several friends had recommended. I have always liked the idea of team as a metaphor for the church, even if the Bible doesn't use it. I think in our modern context, it works well and communicates much, especially to men who don't always feel comfortable in church.

That being said, I'm pretty sure that when it comes to dysfunctions, churches have as many as any other team, whether in the corporate world, the athletic world, or anywhere else you might look. This is a business book, but as you can see, the applications are clear for a church context without much translation. If you'd like to read the personal reflection portion of my paper, drop me an e-mail and I'll shoot you a copy.

REFLECTION ON 5 DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM

Author: Patrick Lencioni 230 pages. Published by Jossey-Bass

Summary:

Lencioni is a committed Christian who is a business consultant and performance coach. I first heard of him at the Leadership Summit two years ago. His books (this is my third of his) are written as a ‘Business Fable,’ the first part a work of fiction that highlights the need for and application of the principles he is attempting to communicate. The last part of the book is a summary of the principles and ways to apply them in real world settings.

This particular book is about the power of teamwork in the workplace and how, without it, a more talented and better resourced team can fall into habits and situations that hold them back from their full potential. In the case of this fable, the department heads that formed the executive staff of a software company, but the application to a church Leadership Team were obvious. The dysfunctions are: Lack of Trust, Fear of (constructive, positive) Conflict, Lack of Commitment (to the decisions made by the team), Avoidance of Accountability (to each other and to the team), and finally, Inattention to Results.

The ‘cure’ for each of these dysfunctions would be – build a foundation of trust so that there is positive, helpful conflict over ideas that do not damage relationships, therefore allowing each team member to share how they feel, positive or negative, about each idea. When conflict is working in a team, there is greater buy-in to decisions, even when a team member had issues and even strong opinions against it, because they had their opportunity to be heard and their ideas on the subject vetted by the entire team. This creates a higher level of accountability (and requires a higher level of accountability) among the team as they all hold each other to a higher standard of functionality in the wake of team-created decisions. All this leads to placing a higher value on results, because instead of individual performance being the focus, the good of the whole team is the greater consideration, and the positive results of the entire operation will be the standard of measure for everyone.