Tools · Team Effectiveness Check

Work better
as one team.

Rate 20 statements and bring your five-dimension profile to your next leadership team discussion.

Start the check

01 / Why

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Take a closer look at the first Rockefeller Habit in the Operating Cadence Check, a healthy, aligned leadership team.

Patrick Lencioni’s framework describes five patterns that can get in the way of teamwork. Trust sits at the base of the pyramid. When people can admit mistakes and ask for help, they are more willing to challenge each other’s ideas. Open debate helps the team make decisions people can commit to, hold one another to those commitments and keep shared results in view.

Use the framework to discuss problems you recognise, such as difficult issues that stay off the agenda, decisions that keep coming back or departments pursuing their own targets at the expense of the team’s goals. Compare your ratings with colleagues and bring a recent example to explain where you see things differently.

The Five Dysfunctions of a TeamA pyramid with trust at the base and results at the top. Each level’s hindrance and leadership role are repeated in the check below.Leadership RoleHindrancesInattention toRESULTSFocus on CollectiveOutcomesStatus and EgoAvoidance ofACCOUNTABILITYConfront Difficult IssuesLow StandardsLack ofCOMMITMENTsForce Clarity and ClosureAmbiguityFear ofCONFLICTMine for ConflictArtificial HarmonyAbsence ofTRUSTGo First!Invulnerability
Framework from Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

02 / Assessment

How does your team work together?

Rate the 20 statements based on your experience of the team over the past three months.

Choose Insufficient experience if you cannot rate a statement.

Likert scale

  • 1 Strongly disagree
  • 2 Disagree
  • 3 Neither agree nor disagree
  • 4 Agree
  • 5 Strongly agree

Absence of TRUST

Hindrance
Invulnerability
Leadership role
Go First!
1. We dare to be vulnerable and openly admit mistakes and weaknesses
2. We express our genuine thoughts and opinions in our discussions without the fear of being criticised
3. We are honest, tell the truth and we don't have hidden agendas among team members
4. We listen first to understand

Fear of CONFLICT

Hindrance
Artificial Harmony
Leadership role
Mine for Conflict
5. We feel safe to discuss and debate brutal facts
6. We dare to speak up and challenge each other (even at the risk of causing disagreement)
7. We are open (not defensive) when we challenge each others’ thoughts and opinions
8. We conduct reviews without the intention to blame, but understand and learn from our experiences

Lack of COMMITMENTs

Hindrance
Ambiguity
Leadership role
Force Clarity and Closure
9. If a major decision has been taken, we will carry it out together
10. We are aligned and committed to our common objectives/goals
11. We have set clear roles and responsibilities within the team
12. We feel a high sense of belonging and togetherness within our team

Avoidance of ACCOUNTABILITY

Hindrance
Low Standards
Leadership role
Confront Difficult Issues
13. We do not tolerate mediocracy in the team
14. We continuously improve ourselves and learn from failures and successes
15. When promises are being made, we go the extra mile to exceed expectations
16. We take responsibility for our own actions and the performance of our team

Inattention to RESULTS

Hindrance
Status and Ego
Leadership role
Focus on Collective Outcomes
17. We have a shared purpose and clear ambitions that direct us in our daily work
18. We think our work matters and creates meaningful change
19. Our team members put the team's interest before their personal interests
20. We take pride in winning and celebrate our successes

03 / Discussion

Discuss your results

Each score averages the statements you rated in that dimension.

01

Where do you see things differently?

02

What recent example explains your rating?

03

What would you do differently next time?

Bring this to your next management meeting

Ask colleagues to complete the check independently. Compare where your ratings differ and agree which change to try first.

Invite a colleague