Unlocking the Secrets to High-Performing Teams

Whether you’re a leader, manager, or program director, your organizational goals are a top priority. You want to generate as many quality sign-ups as possible in the shortest time. When you succeed, your beneficiaries (or clients, if you’re an agency) win.

To get there, you need clear objectives, solid training, and an efficient system. But no matter how well you structure things, you’re working with people. And when people work together, challenges arise.

Over the last eight years, I’ve worked with countless teams, both in-house and agency-side. I’ve been a leader, a manager, and a partner. I’ve built teams from scratch, repaired broken programs, and seen the same challenges appear over and over when it comes to teamwork.

Today’s article is about those challenges, or "dysfunctions," as Patrick Lencioni calls them in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and what has actually worked for me to overcome them.

1. Absence of Trust

Teams without trust breed constant conflict, office politics, and self-preservation over collaboration.

Trust is the foundation of strong teams. Without it, relationships fall apart. What worked for me? Simple: regular team-building exercises focused on self-awareness and open interaction. The more people know and understand each other, the better they work together.

2. Fear of Conflict

Where healthy conflict is missing, people bottle things up. Eventually, frustration explodes with damaging consequences.

I love solving this one because it means people grow braver and communicate better. My approach? Clear feedback models, structured confrontation time in meetings, and an expectation that honest conversations are part of the culture.

3. Lack of Commitment

You know this dysfunction when people skip meetings, show up late, or check out mentally while they’re there.

It’s frustrating to call a meeting and have half the team either missing or watching the clock. My fix? More one-on-ones, varied team meeting formats (sometimes with external guests), and pairing fieldwork partners who inspire each other.

4. Avoidance of Accountability

This one is obvious when there’s a big gap between what people say they’ll do and what actually gets done.

Without accountability, you can’t trust your team to deliver. And that means extra stress (and often, you doing everything yourself). What worked for me? Setting clear boundaries, implementing accountability partnerships, and regularly reviewing individual objectives as a team. Public commitment often sparks action.

5. Inattention to Results

You see this when individuals chase personal success at the expense of the team.

There’s that classic question: “Would you rather play your best game and lose or sit on the bench while your team wins? “ The people who always choose the first option can hurt a team in the long run.

What helped here? One-on-one check-ins and reworking the bonus structure so collective success mattered just as much as individual performance.

Final Thoughts

So, we talked about trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. I shared what’s worked for me. If you want to dive deeper, check out Patrick Lencioni’s book, it’s a framework I’ve successfully used for over five years.

Bottom line: If you want to hit your organizational goals, you need a team that hums. If this resonated, drop a comment below or shoot me an email at alin@didof2f.com. I’d love to hear what works for you.

Until next time, stay inspired and Trust The Process.