CTO Fraction

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Fractional CTO Improving Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Case Study

As a Fractional CTO I recently worked with a client where one of my objectives was to improve the 5 dysfunctions of a team, according to Lencioni’s book. In this article, I share the approach I took towards helping the teams, and the results that we were able to achieve.

 

What Are the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team?

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a framework introduced by Patrick Lencioni in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. It identifies the core challenges teams face and provides insight into overcoming them. The dysfunctions are depicted as a pyramid, with each dysfunction building upon the previous one:

1. Absence of Trust

  • Description: Team members are unwilling to be vulnerable with one another, which prevents the building of trust.
  • Symptoms: Fear of admitting weaknesses, mistakes, or asking for help; lack of open dialogue.


2. Fear of Conflict

  • Description: Teams avoid productive, passionate debate about ideas and issues, leading to artificial harmony.
  • Symptoms: Lack of healthy discussions, unresolved tensions, and suppressed dissent.

3. Lack of Commitment

  • Description: Teams fail to commit to decisions and plans due to ambiguity or lack of clarity.
  • Symptoms: Indecisiveness, lack of buy-in from team members, and revisiting decisions frequently.

4. Avoidance of Accountability

  • Description: Team members hesitate to call out peers on counterproductive behaviors or performance.
  • Symptoms: Missed deadlines, low standards, and reluctance to confront underperformance.

5. Inattention to Results

  • Description: Team members prioritize personal goals, ego, or departmental objectives over collective results.
  • Symptoms: Lack of focus on team success, competing priorities, and failure to achieve goals.

 

The Situation Before the Fractional CTO Engagement

In this section I will describe high-level what the situation was when I initially began my engagement with this client, as a Fractional CTO. There were several factors at play:

Team Silos
There were strong silos among the R&D teams: Product, Design, and Engineering. Each worked quite independently and there was little collaboration across the teams. Work was typically handed over from one team to another.

Lack of Partnership
A sense of partnership was lacking across the three groups and their leaders. They did not see each other as partners, and as members of one larger team. There was also a level or “us vs. them” type of mentality.

Relationship Tensions
The relationship was strained among the 3 departmental leaders, as well as among some of their team members. When issues, or disagreements, arose they were either dealt with ineffective resolution approaches, which caused drama and more tension, or were ignored until the next time when the cycle repeated itself.

Lack of Transparency
A culture of open and transparent communication was non-existent. There was little room for honest discussions where both parties listened well and sought win-win solutions.

Ambiguous SDLC Process
The Software Development Life Cycle was not clearly defined, leaving teams with ambiguity and lack of clarity in certain situations. This led to more communication and process breakdown, miscommunication, and stressed relationships.

 

A Fractional CTO’s Approach to Improve the Five Dysfunctions of a Team

As a Fractional CTO I took a multi-faceted approach towards helping improve the five dysfunctions of these particular teams.

In-Person Workshop
Given that this was mostly a remote company I wanted to start with an in-person half day workshop at the company’s office, where I met with the 3 departmental leaders. During that time we had a mix of teaching various principles and interactive exercises. Topics we covered were:

  • Team principles
  • Leadership principles
  • Curiosity, vulnerability, and accountability
  • Issues of the human heart
  • Non-Violent Communication (NVC) framework
  • Visions and dreams for the company’s future

Weekly Meeting
The next step was to start a weekly meeting with the 4 of us where they could bring up difficult topics and discuss them together, with my guidance, in a safe environment. This opened up the door towards open and honest communication where difficult situations could be discussed and resolutions could be reached.

Defining Roles and Responsibilities
One source for tension had also been leadership roles that were not clearly defined. This often led to assumed responsibilities and frustration when expectations were not being met.

Therefore, I worked with the 3 leaders to clearly define each of their roles and responsibilities. After obtaining their buy-in and support, I had the CEO and SVP of Operations also review and agree. Finally these roles were documented in a shared document which would be referenced in the future, whenever questions arose.

Drama Triangle
Throughout the next few months several challenging situations arose among the team members. I worked with those involved to teach them about the Drama Triangle and how to avoid and handle it. 

Having Difficult Conversations
In the process, I encouraged individuals to approach the other team member/s, when a tense situation arose, and have the difficult conversation, despite their inclination to just ignore it. This pushed them to grow and practice how to express their feelings and needs in a more productive way.

Working 1 on 1
Another approach I used was to spend a lot of 1 on 1 time with the team members, especially the leaders. This gave me an opportunity to listen, learn, and provide guidance and encouragement.

One Team Message
From the very beginning one of my goals was to help all the team members understand that they are partners and members of one large team. I shared this message from the start and continued to do so in both 1 on 1 and group settings. I wanted everyone to hear it over and over until they started seeing each other this way.

Making Goals Visible
The last step was to redefine their SDLC process and make all of the work and their goals visible. We used Jira Product Discovery for that, where everyone could see all of the work in one place. We also started a weekly meeting, including members from all of the 3 R&D teams. This was a regular touch point for them to review their goals, progress, align, and solve problems together.

Need a Fractional CTO to Help Improve the Five Dysfunction of Your Teams?

Are your teams struggling with any of these:

  • Team Silos
  • Lack of Partnership
  • Relationship Tensions
  • Lack of Transparency
  • Ambiguous SDLC Process

Hire me as your Fractional CTO and let me help your teams.

Before and After Results from Improving the Five Dysfunctions of a Team

After working together for several months we were able to make significant improvements with these teams. The 3 departmental leaders took a survey at the very beginning of our engagement and then the exact same survey several months later.

Overall Results

The attached bar chart illustrates significant improvements in the team’s performance across all five dysfunction categories from May 2024 (first survey) to December 2024 (second survey). These improvements demonstrate the team’s progress in overcoming the dysfunctions outlined by Patrick Lencioni’s framework.

  • May 2024 Overall Average Score: 45.87%
  • December 2024 Overall Average Score: 70.93%
  • Overall Improvement: +25.06 percentage points

Key Takeaway: The overall average score demonstrates substantial progress, with significant gains in every dysfunction category. The structured efforts to address team dysfunctions through workshops, leadership interventions, and improved communication strategies have clearly paid off.

1. Absence of Trust

  • May 2024 Score: 41.33%
  • December 2024 Score: 66.67%
  • Improvement: +25.34 percentage points
  • Analysis: This notable increase suggests that team members have developed stronger relationships and are more comfortable being vulnerable with one another.

2. Fear of Conflict

  • May 2024 Score: 48.00%
  • December 2024 Score: 68.00%
  • Improvement: +20.00 percentage points
  • Analysis: The rise in this score indicates a healthier approach to addressing and resolving conflicts within the team. 

3. Lack of Commitment

  • May 2024 Score: 53.33%
  • December 2024 Score: 74.67%
  • Improvement: +21.34 percentage points
  • Analysis: The improvement in commitment reflects better alignment on goals and decisions, enhanced clarity and communication regarding roles and responsibilities.

4. Avoidance of Accountability

  • May 2024 Score: 36.00%
  • December 2024 Score: 70.67%
  • Improvement: +34.67 percentage points
  • Analysis: The largest improvement among all categories, this jump reflects a significant shift in the team’s ability to hold each other accountable. 

5. Inattention to Results

  • May 2024 Score: 50.67%
  • December 2024 Score: 74.67%
  • Improvement: +24.00 percentage points
  • Analysis: The improvement in focus on results highlights the team’s alignment around collective goals and a reduction in personal or departmental silos.