The 3 Questions to Build Your Dream Team

Teamwork.  

The power of this two syllable word can dramatically change the way our organizations operate and its ability to both survive and thrive.

In honor of the 20th anniversary since the book’s original publishing, author Patrick Lencioni recently hosted a webinar on his bestseller, The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. Throughout the presentation, Lencioni not only shares how to overcome the 5 dysfunctions, but also discusses the ‘Teamwork Trifecta’. This focuses on how to create a high-performing team and addresses the most critical questions around teams within an organization. I have found these to be tremendously helpful resources and useful tools as I coach leadership teams.

The ‘Teamwork Trifecta’ is based on the following three books and each has a main question it aims to address:

  1. The Ideal Team Player —> Answers: “Does this person belong on the team?”

    • Focuses on the indispensable virtues of humble, hungry, and smart. An extremely useful tool in the hiring process.

  2. The Working Genius —> Answers: “What role should they have on this team?”

    • Identifies individuals’ geniuses (what they naturally love doing) and frustrations and the overall team’s geniuses and frustrations to maximize team productivity.

  3. The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team —> Answers: “How does the team interact with each other?”

    • Now that all the right people are on the team, in the right seats, and doing the right things, let’s ensure the behaviors within the team enable high performance to get the results we’re after.

The best way to begin utilizing these resources/tools to improve our teamwork is to assess where we are now. We have online assessments available which I use with my clients and their leadership teams to determine where we can improve so we can then execute on our strategy and reach company goals.

As Lencioni states during the webinar event, life comes down to the simple things that are hard to remember and put into action, not the really complex things that happen overnight.

Look at these three main questions surrounding teamwork and ask yourself which one you need to focus on first… And then go out and do something about it!

If you’re interested in watching The 5 Dysfunctions 20th Anniversary event, please reach out and I’d be happy to send you the link. The recording will only be available for a limited time.