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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team cover art

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

By: Patrick Lencioni
Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
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Summary

In keeping with the parable style, Patrick Lencioni begins by telling the fable of a woman who, as CEO of a struggling Silicon Valley firm, took control of a dysfunctional executive committee and helped its members succeed as a team. Story time over, Lencioni offers explicit instructions for overcoming the human behavioral tendencies that he says corrupt teams (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results). Succinct yet sympathetic, this guide will be a boon for those struggling with the inherent difficulties of leading a group.

Building a cohesive team is not complicated, declares Lencioni. Departing from the dry, theoretical writing of many management books, he presents his case in the context of a fictional organization, and in doing so succeeds at communicating his ideas. The scenarios are recognizable and can be applied anywhere teamwork is involved, whether it is a multinational company, a small department within a larger organization, or a sports team. At the end of the story, the main points are summarized, and clearly expressed suggestions and exercises are offered to help bring about change. Concise and easy to follow, this program is recommended for anyone who is a member of a team that needs improvement.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is also available in print from Wiley.

©2002 Patrick Lencioni
(P)2002 Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"A gripping analysis of what makes teams work effectively. This fine work is a must-read for any leader that has come to grips with the fact that no one makes progress - much less succeeds - alone." (James Amos, president and CEO, Mail Boxes Etc.)

What listeners say about The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

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Concise and useful

Like the way he introduces the concept in a story and then gives practical tips on its implementation.
One to keep and return to.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling listen

Thought provoking listen, which had me hooked. Most of the book revolves around the goings on in a fictional - and, of course, dysfunctional - company; many of the scenarios raised in the will resonate. (The last part of the book, which goes through each of the five dysfunctions in a more formal way perhaps works less well in audio-book form.)

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5 people found this helpful

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A Must Listen for Anyone in Leadership...

Toxic work cultures kill...people's drive, their capacity for creativity, their spirit and their joy.

So why do business leaders still tolerate the poison apples?

1. Failure to recognise the culprit/s
2. Inability to challenge bad behaviour
3. A stupid misconception that it will all work itself out
4. An equally stupid belief that friction is good ...(yes really)
5. Lack of a back bone

If you're working in a toxic hell-hole - give your boss and your colleagues this - if you can expense it - even better, if not, it's worth the investment!

If only listening to this was mandatory for all managers / leaders....

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3 people found this helpful

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  • BM
  • 08-05-19

Management theory/Mary Poppins

What is this narrator on? His idea of a British person working in a tech company is like the father in Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins was full of caricatures but this is not a comedy book. This is incredibly annoying which distracts from the important message of this book. If he was representing another nation with such a bizarrely stereotypical accent everyone would shout “racist”. This point is that this is a ridiculous narration that detracts from the content.

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2 people found this helpful

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well worth a listen. focused at senior managers

good listen and interesting story, as a manager of a large team of field based engineers it would prove difficult to implement some of the model. but a good book.

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Great story about how to manage teams

I liked how the book was based on a story which made me relate better to the points being made.

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1 person found this helpful

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loved it

Great book. Brilliantly explained principles on team development and performance. A must for every manager. Thank you Audible.

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Learn why building trust, builds your team

Would you consider the audio edition of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team to be better than the print version?

I loved the audio edition so much I bought the book. The book contains some great practical exercises at the end of the book to do with your team to build trust, to manage tough topics etc, so while I will probably listen to the book again, I use the print copy for reference.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team?

There were many lightbulbs moments in the book, but a couple that made me smile were when the CEO had her first face-to-face challenge with her sales manager, who had purposely booked a customer meeting in the middle of her first management retreat to avoid going. The way she managed it was poetic. Then other was when she told the story to her team about her own career mistakes. As a young consultant she hadn't understood the importance of The Team, and through her own naive logic promoted the team's high performer who was also the top team destroyer. She got fired.

What does Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I always prefer audio books that have been recorded with the author. It shows a level of care for the audience that I greatly appreciate. In this case Patrick recorded the introduction to set the scene, and having the voice and the picture, really helps me connect with him.

Charles Stransky does a great job telling the story (even if his English accent is terrible ;) ) His voice skills helps the listener focus on the meaning of the content rather than having to imagine the scenerio. Great job.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was totally inspired after reading this book. I immediately starting discussing the concepts with my colleagues and I have the book with me as a constant reminder. It's not something that I can fully take on board in one go, so I plan to go through it again on my next road trip, to cover the key topics more thoroughly.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend it. The storytelling approach really worked for me to understand how to apply the theory. Thumbs up!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful

Love the way this book is written as a story. It makes it easier to digest. It provokes some powerful questions about the teams you work in but provides the insight to help make them. It's logical and easy to understand. It's a must if you want to take your team to the next level and beyond.

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Good analogous story

Good story that makes the disfunctions clear in a real world environment. I wish I had read it earlier in my leadership role.

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