The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team – #5 Inattention To Results

“Never mistake motion for action.”- Ernest Hemingway

The final dysfunction from “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is Inattention to Results.

This dysfunction means that team members are solely focused on emphasizing their own successes irrespective of the overall company outcome. Inattention to results is very destructive when it becomes hyper focused on just the system and processes. One example is when the team disconnects with the experience of the clients and the push to go above and beyond, and instead merely interacts with the business and clients as a checklist. They are focused on the “tasks” vs. the outcome and long term impacts.

A team that is not focused on results:

1. Stagnates/fails to grow
2. Rarely defeats competitors
3. Loses achievement-oriented employees
4. Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals
5. Is easily distracted

A team that focuses on collective results:

1. Retains achievement-oriented employees
2. Minimizes individualistic behavior
3. Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely
4. Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the team
5. Avoids distractions

Overcoming inattention to results has to include a public declaration (and inspection) of results. Most of you have heard me say it a million times; the systems and process are there to guide and serve the results. The systems free us up so we can spend our energy on inspecting and tracking the results. You can then re-course when need be, but in the moment, not after the fact.

So where would you like to be with your team in the remaining months in 2013? What I would wish for every small business owner is nothing short of a team of trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and one that is focused on results. But most importantly, have a team that has a ton of fun while making a big, gigantic difference, daily.

I invite you to take the “Five Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment.” If your interested please contact me at mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com. For every person committed enough to do this, I will offer a 1 hour diagnostic call with your entire team.

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.