5 Dysfunctions of A Team
This dysfunction sits at the base of Lencioni’s pyramid and prevents teams from engaging in healthy conflict
What is absence of trust?
In the IPO model, team member skills, resources, and task structure all fall under this component.
What are inputs?
This conflict style is assertive and uncooperative, favoring one’s own goals over others’.
What is forcing? (stubborn)
This author coined the phrase “get the right people on the bus” in his book on organizational greatness.
Who is Jim Collins?
The Stockdale Paradox is named after a Vietnam War POW who survived harsh conditions through mental discipline.
Who is Admiral James Stockdale?
Teams suffering from this dysfunction avoid debating ideas, which prevents innovation and decision clarity.
What is fear of conflict?
Communication patterns, decision-making, and conflict resolution belong to this middle stage of the IPO model.
What are processes?
This style reflects low assertiveness and high cooperativeness—giving in to maintain harmony.
What is yielding (accommodating)?
According to Collins, leaders should focus on this before deciding the organization’s strategy or direction.
What is getting the right people on (and the wrong people off) the bus?
The paradox instructs leaders to confront these harsh factors head-on without denial.
What are the brutal facts of reality?
When team members don’t buy into decisions, this dysfunction emerges—making follow-through inconsistent.
What is lack of commitment?
Customer satisfaction, team performance metrics, and deliverables are examples of this final stage.
What are outputs?
This withdrawal-oriented style avoids confrontation and delays addressing conflict.
What is avoiding?
In GTG, this characteristic—more important than talent—ensures the right people will excel on the bus.
What is character/values/discipline? (Any phrasing OK)
According to the paradox, leaders must pair realism with this unwavering internal belief.
What is faith that they will ultimately prevail?
This dysfunction occurs when teammates hesitate to challenge one another’s behavior or performance standards.
What is avoidance of accountability?
This extension of the IPO model emphasizes how results loop back to influence future inputs and processes.
What is the Input–Mediator–Output (IMO) framework?
This style seeks mutually beneficial outcomes through open problem-solving and information sharing.
What is problem-solving (collaborating)?
Collins argues that right people exhibit this trait, meaning they don’t need to be tightly managed.
What is self-motivation / self-discipline?
Stockdale warned against this type of person—those who believe things will improve by a specific date and become crushed when they don’t.
Who are the optimists? (Or: What is false/timely optimism?)
The ultimate dysfunction in the model—teams fall into this when individual priorities outweigh collective success.
What is inattention to results?
Teams diagnosed using IPO often struggle here when there is misalignment between task requirements and team competencies.
What is a poor input–task fit?
This style represents a middle ground, balancing assertiveness and cooperation by splitting differences.
What is compromising?
This phenomenon occurs when leaders prioritize loyalty or convenience over capability, undermining who is on the bus.
What is “the wrong people problem” / keeping the wrong people in key seats?
This psychological duality—balancing bleak realism with deep resilience—captures the essence of the Stockdale Paradox.
What is “optimistic realism” or “dual mindset of hope and discipline”?