Impact of Team Dysfunctions on Project Success and Strategy Implementation
Lack of Trust and Its Effect on Communication and Collaboration
Teams may encounter five main types of dysfunctions during project implementation. The first is the inability to build trust, which leads to the impossibility of predicting the behaviors of team members (Lencioni, 2005). Trust allows participants to feel comfortable and able to freely express themselves, as well as be supported and heard (Nunkoo & Sungkur, 2021). The lack of trust in the team can negatively affect collaboration and communication, which eventually may result in poor decision-making and task execution (Breuer et al., 2019). Dysfunction in building trust can prevent a team from implementing strategies due to ineffective interaction and increased risks of miscommunication.
Unresolved Conflict and Its Role in Delaying Strategic Projects
The second dysfunction is the inability to resolve conflicts within the team. Conflicts can be productive and destructive, which influence the implementation of the project (Lencioni, 2005). Personal conflicts within the team are highly destructive and can result in negative outcomes. The inability of a leader to identify conflict situations and apply required strategies to resolve them can lead to poor collaboration within the team. Overall, this can be the cause of project delays and errors. Strategy implementation is related to the need for adjustments and changes to the project.
Lack of Commitment and Its Impact on Team Engagement
The third team dysfunction that can be harmful to the project is the lack of commitment. This aspect is characterized by weak bonds between members of the team as they do not identify themselves as part of the group (Rusdi & Wibowo, 2022). This dysfunction can lead to lower motivation, which has a negative impact on the project (Lencioni, 2005). Additionally, team members can be poorly engaged in the group efforts and goals, which may result in a reluctance to implement the overall strategy.
Absence of Accountability and the Risk to Strategic Outcomes
The fourth dysfunction is the lack of accountability, which is closely related to other points. Accountability allows team members to feel responsible for the shared outcome that the group generates (Stewart et al., 2023). The lack of accountability results in conflicts and poor motivation to show the results (Lencioni, 2005). Team members do not feel their contribution to the overall goals can hinder project development. Additionally, the lack of accountability may result in poor strategy implementation due to a higher risk of errors and conflicts.
Undefined Goals and Structure as Barriers to Effective Implementation
The fifth dysfunction that a team may face is the lack of set team goals and structure. Members of the team should feel the balance between personal and collective aims that they have as part of the group (Lencioni, 2005). These roles should be assigned on the basis of personal characteristics, which together should contribute to the overall project performance (Gander et al., 2020). The lack of structure and goals may negatively impact the project due to the inability of the team to perform complex tasks efficiently. Strategy implementation can also be affected as collaboration between team members can be poor.
Key Management and Leadership Skills for Strategic Project Development and Implementation
The key management and leadership skills that are required for the development of strategic projects are effective communication, the ability to motivate, as well as the ability to listen and influence. The dysfunctions listed can be overcome by the set of qualities that a good project manager and leader should have. For example, effective communication could help to establish trust within the team for better collaboration and identify possible conflicts.
Another instance is the ability to motivate, which can be used to increase team members’ commitment and maintain accountability. Finally, the ability to listen and influence could assist team members in finding the balance of aims. For example, the leader can help them define their goals and align them with the objectives of the team and project.
Influence of a Christian Worldview on Leadership Style and Managing Team Dysfunctions
A Christian worldview perspective can guide the leader’s activities to support and provide assistance for team members. The manager can be aware of the value of an individual participant for the overall performance and focus on personal growth and development. Team dysfunction can be dealt with through the identification of individual goals and adjusting them as part of the strategy. Additionally, they can be overcome by constant internal communication and early discussion of potential problems.
References
Breuer, C., Hüffmeier, J., Hibben, F., & Hertel, G. (2019). Trust in teams: A taxonomy of perceived trustworthiness factors and risk-taking behaviors in face-to-face and virtual teams. Human Relations, 73(1). Web.
Gander, F., Gaitzsch, I., & Ruch, W. (2020). The relationships of team role-and character strengths-balance with individual and team-level satisfaction and performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Web.
Lencioni, P. (2005). Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team: A field guide for leaders, managers, and facilitators. Jossey-Bass.
Nunkoo, D., K., & Sungkur, R. K. (2021). Team conflict dynamics & conflict management: Derivation of a model for software organisations to enhance team performance and software quality. Global Transitions Proceedings, 2(2), 545-552. Web.
Rusdi, Z. M., & Wibowo, A. (2022). Team mindfulness, team commitment and team respectful engagement: The lens of the conservation of resources theory and the broaden-and-build theory. Organization Management Journal, 19(5). Web.
Steward, V. R., Snyder, D. S., & Kou, C. Y. (2023). We hold ourselves accountable: A relational view of team accountability. Journal of Business Ethics, 183, 691-712. Web.