In our final study of Lencioni’s book, we’ll discuss the tools necessary to deal with potential conflict within a leadership team. While your team less likely to experience the pressure of a ” for profit” organization, there are five issues that every team must be ready to deal with.
The first is ABSENCE OF TRUST. This is defined as failure on the part of team members to understand and open up to one another.
The second is INATTENTION TO RESULTS. This is defined as team member’s desire for individual recognition and attention at the expense of results.
The third is FEAR OF CONFLICT. This involves open discussion of differing points of view.
The fourth is LACK OF COMMITMENT. Member ambiguity results in a failure to “buy in” to team decisions.
The fifth is AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY. This involves team members holding each other accountable to what they agreed to do.
While all of these sound more like a business model than a church group, it is important to recognize that all groups whether secular of religious need to be aware of these issues. While businesses confront these issues by letting those go who don’t comply, we in the church will certainly take a more non-directive approach to these potential kinds of conflict. And yet, as director, you may find yourself asking someone to step down if they consistently do not follow through on that which they have committed to do. This should not be considered an ungracious approach but is simply a recognition of the psychological principle that if someone is caught in an unsuccessful cycle of activity, they more than anyone want to be relieved of continuing failure. So the start of the year is a good time to look at your leadership team and decide if it’s time for reorganization. Sometimes leaving a position vacant is better than creating stress for yourself and the other person.