May 2023. In the semifinals of the Ice Hockey World Championship, Germany will face the U.S. On paper, the U.S. is the clear favorite. But anyone who has played team sports knows that games aren’t decided on paper.
What happened that evening made a deep impression on me. The players on the German team blocked shots for one another, made up for each other’s mistakes, and their teammates on the bench cheered them on. Everyone worked toward shared success. After 60 minutes, the score was tied at 3–3. In ice hockey, overtime is decided by the “golden goal”: the first goal wins the game. The tension was almost unbearable. Then the goal came: Frederik Tiffels scored the decisive goal to make it 4–3. Germany was through to the final.
This evening was a striking demonstration of what is possible when talented individual players come together to form a true team. But how does such a team come together? And why do others fail despite their individual talent?
Why Do Teams Fail?
In over ten years of project experience as a transformation manager, I have seen the same patterns emerge time and again. Successful teams are not defined by having the best individual performers, but by a culture that fosters goal-oriented collaboration.
With his model of the “Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” Patrick Lencioni provides a practical tool. He describes the most common obstacles that prevent teams from succeeding as:
- Lack of Trust
- Fear of Conflict
- Non-binding
- Denial of Responsibility
- Lack of interest in results
These five points determine whether teams will rise to the occasion or fall short of their potential.
Trust as a Foundation: Why Does Inviolability Undermine Team Success?
Trust is the foundation of any collaboration. Yet this is often where the problem lies. We’ve learned to view mistakes as a sign of weakness. And being open carries the risk of being hurt. Team members hide behind professional facades to protect themselves. The high standards of quality in small and medium-sized businesses reinforce this effect: mistakes are punished rather than seen as opportunities to learn.
Without trust, conflicts are avoided, commitments are shirked, and no one takes responsibility for the results.
Trust starts with leadership. When you, as a leader, openly address your own mistakes, you give your team permission to be vulnerable. This creates a safe environment. With a vibrant culture of feedback and active learning from mistakes, a group of individuals can become a team.
Artificial Harmony: Why Do Teams Hold Back the Truth?
Do you know of any teams where people get along harmoniously on the surface but badmouth each other behind their backs? That’s a clear sign of a fear of conflict.
Conflicts are unpleasant. Anyone who voices criticism runs the risk of being confronted themselves. So people prefer to pretend there is “harmony.” But artificial harmony means that shared goals are not taken seriously. As a result, decisions are not made clearly because no one has shared their true opinion. Solutions are implemented only half-heartedly, since valuable perspectives were not brought to the table.
Constructive conflicts require a leader who fosters a culture of open discussion. The goal is to find the best solution together. This requires respect for every opinion and setting aside personal sensitivities. Discussions are not a disruption; they are a valuable part of the goal-setting process.
Lack of Commitment: Why Does Ambiguity Harm Teams?
A lack of commitment manifests itself through ambiguity. The status of a task remains vague so that there is enough room for interpretation later on. In good teams, the status is clearly addressed and obstacles are openly identified.
Why do teams prefer to remain noncommittal? It’s supposedly easier. That way, they keep their options open and remain beyond reproach. Unfortunately, this attitude leads to the team’s failure.
Commitment requires clarity. After every discussion, it must be clear what was decided and who is responsible. It is important that everyone supports the decision. This also applies to team members who held a different opinion.
Shifting Responsibility: What Leads to Low Performance Standards?
Deadlines are constantly being pushed back in the project. The project team says, “There’s nothing we can do because the business unit didn’t have time!” Statements like these are a red flag, because they shift the responsibility onto others.
There are two possible reasons for this:
- A leadership culture in which managers claim to have the final say.
- Or the attitude of the employee who just wants to take the easy way out, refuses to take responsibility, and doesn’t come up with solutions to move the project forward in the company’s best interest.
Anyone who takes on responsibility must be held accountable. That can be daunting. But without responsibility, performance standards decline—and with them, the motivation of top performers.
Teams need shared guidelines. A team vision establishes purpose and values. It should be developed collaboratively so that everyone is committed to the overarching goal. Once established, it is the leadership’s responsibility to uphold these standards and continually sharpen the focus of the vision.
Lack of Interest in Results: Why Does the “I” Triumph Over the “We”?
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.” This quote from Harry S. Truman sums it up perfectly. When individual goals take precedence over the overall result, silos form. Silos prevent information from being shared and cause shared tasks to be handled as a lower priority.
Those who are evaluated solely based on their own goals optimize for themselves rather than for the team. Shared goals and a culture built on trust, a willingness to address conflicts, commitment, and accountability are what help.
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My Conclusion: Teamwork as the Key to Digital Transformation
True teamwork doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of hard work and collaboration. The building blocks of dream teams are:
- Mutual Trust
- The courage to resolve conflicts
- Living Out Commitment
- Take Responsibility
- Focus on the Team’s Results
In the cultural shift brought about by digital transformation, we need teams like these. After all, digitalization isn’t just an IT issue. Digitalization is teamwork. Ultimately, it’s not the IT solution that matters, but the team that succeeds in bringing colleagues along on a journey of change.
I am convinced that companies that actively address these five areas will successfully navigate the transition.
Peter Prütting is an expert in value-oriented and digital business development. With over 15 years of sales experience from the perspectives of wholesale, manufacturing, and e-marketplaces, he takes a holistic view. His colleagues value him as a customer-centric and focused leader who guides teams through digital transformation. Away from his daily work, he recharges his batteries by mountain biking.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Patrick Lencioni describes five common obstacles that prevent teams from succeeding: lack of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, refusal to take responsibility, and lack of interest in results. These five factors build on one another and determine whether teams will rise to the occasion or fall short of their potential.
Successful teams are not defined by having the best individual performers, but by a culture that fosters goal-oriented collaboration. When trust is lacking, conflicts are avoided, and no one takes responsibility, individual talent alone is not enough.
Without trust, team members hide behind a professional facade. Mistakes are hidden rather than seen as learning opportunities. This leads to conflicts being avoided, responsibilities being passed off, and no one taking ownership of results. Trust starts with the leader: When a leader openly addresses their own mistakes, they give the team permission to be vulnerable.
A clear sign: On the surface, team members seem to get along harmoniously, but behind each other’s backs, they speak ill of one another. Decisions remain unclear because no one shares their true opinion. Valuable perspectives are lost, and solutions are subpar.
Commitment requires clarity. After every discussion, it must be clear what has been decided and who is responsible. Everyone must support the decision, including colleagues who previously disagreed.
When responsibility is delegated, standards decline—and with them, the motivation of top performers. Teams need shared guidelines, such as a team vision that anchors their purpose and values. This vision should be developed collaboratively so that everyone is committed to the goal. Once established, it is the leadership’s responsibility to ensure these standards are upheld.
If employees are evaluated solely based on their own goals, they will optimize for themselves rather than for the team. One approach is to establish shared goals and a culture built on trust, a willingness to address conflict, commitment, and accountability.
Digital transformation isn’t just an IT issue—it’s about teamwork. Ultimately, it’s not the IT solution that matters, but how we manage to bring our colleagues along on this journey of change. Companies that actively address the five dysfunctions of a team navigate change more successfully because they build a culture where people enjoy working.
Sources
- Cologne Sharks, team photo, https://www.haie.de/news/deutschland-gewinnt-silber-bei-der-eishockey-wm-2023/
- My Dream Team: Or the Art of Leading People to Work Together Effectively by Patrick Lencioni, Book: ISBN 9783593387031
- Quotes and Insights https://www.impulse.de/, Harry S. Trumann
