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MENTAL MODEL · M0314

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
BehaviorHigh supportOrganizational Behavior
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Proposed by Patrick Lencioni. A pyramid of causes for low team effectiveness, from bottom to top: absence of trust (fear of being vulnerable), fear of conflict (artificial harmony), lack of commitment (ambiguity), avoidance of accountability (low standards), and inattention to results (focus on personal status).

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Pathological diagnosis: Many teams desperately focus on 'execution' (accountability/results) but it's ineffective because the underlying 'trust' has collapsed. - Rehabilitating conflict: Points out that 'lack of intense ideological conflict' is a sign of mediocrity in teams; healthy teams need constructive debate.

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Anchor fast decisions

Lencioni proposes a cascading model of five team dysfunctions: absence of trust → fear of conflict → lack of commitment → avoidance of accountability → inattention to results. If the lower layers are not solid, the upper layers cannot stand; it is a chain of degradation where each link affects the next.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_TeamZH · Explicit
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