ACLGIM Leadership Forum 2015; 7(2) The Leadership Forum Why Do Some Teams Succeed When Others Fail? Dr. Irfan Dhalla is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He practices Irfan Dhalla primary care at St. Michaels Hospital and is the Vice President of Evidence Development & Standards for Health Quality Ontario in Ontario, Canada. [email protected]. n keeping with the Canadian venue course of everyday work or through once the coach has decided, all play - Iof SGIM 2015, let me begin with a specific team-building exercises. ers must try to execute the strategy. Canadian-themed question: Why Without vulnerability-based trust, If decisions are clear and properly were the Edmonton Oilers of the Lencioni argues, teams will almost al - communicated, team members can 1980s a great hockey team? ways fear conflict. This is the second then hold each other accountable. A The obvious answer is Wayne dysfunction. Not all conflict is good, lack of accountability is the fourth Gretzky. And yes, Gretzky was one of of course. Most of us have seen dysfunction. Hockey coaches often the key reasons the Oilers won five someone belittled or attacked person - hold players accountable by “bench - Stanley Cups that decade. The best ally, and this kind of conflict should be ing” them, not allowing them to play. teams do frequently have one or avoided. But quite frequently, team Glen Sather, the coach of the Edmon - more exceptional individuals. But as members pretend to agree with one ton Oilers during the 1980s, even we know both from personal experi - another, or at least refrain from dis - benched Wayne Gretzky when he ence and from following our favorite agreement, even when they have didn’t adhere to the agreed-upon sports teams, individual brilliance is good reason to engage in a thought - strategy. not enough to guarantee excellent ful debate about ideas. Productive The fifth and final dysfunction is a team performance. conflict can be encouraged in a vari - failure to pay attention to results. The Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dys - ety of ways, including by establishing best teams usually focus on measur - functions of a Team” can be used to norms for surfacing and dealing with able results, set collective goals, and better understand why some teams conflicts and by providing permission make both the goals and their perfor - succeed and others fail. for team members to disagree. A mance public. For sports teams like Lencioni argues that the first dys - statement at the end of a presenta - the Edmonton Oilers, this is unavoid - function is an absence of trust, and tion such as “tell me what you think able; the goal is to win the champi - that the kind of trust that is impor - might be wrong with this proposal” is onship, and fans pore over each tant to have in a high-functioning probably much better for bringing out game’s statistics. team is obtained only when team conflict than asking “any questions?” Like most great teams, the Ed - members reveal some of their weak - Fostering productive conflict—and monton Oilers of the 1980s trusted nesses to each other. This trust is then dealing with it—allows teams to each other, dealt with internal con - called vulnerability-based trust. One avoid the third dysfunction, a lack of flict well, made clear decisions, held of the ways that Wayne Gretzky commitment. Lencioni is not talking each other accountable, and paid at - showed his vulnerability was by shy - about commitment to an ideal or to tention to results. Whether or not ing away from almost all physical long hours but rather to making a you have a Wayne Gretzky on your contact and relying on a teammate, clear decision and then communicat - team, trying to minimize the “five Dave Semenko, to act as an “en - ing it to everyone involved. Success - dysfunctions” will probably improve forcer.” Teams can build vulnerabil - ful sports teams do this routinely. The your team’s performance and provide ity-based trust when team members team and the coach might discuss a more fulfilling and enjoyable leader - show their weaknesses in the what the strategy should be, but ship experience..