The root cause of lack of trust arises when team members don't find space to show their weaknesses and be vulnerable and open with each other. Lack of trust leads to significant loss of time and energy, as team members end up resorting to defensive behaviors and take a long time to ask for help or assist each other.

Teams can overcome this dysfunction by sharing experiences, demonstrating credibility, and developing a strong appreciation for the unique characteristics of each team member.

Following the absence of trust, if this team fails to address the first dysfunction, it won't be able to engage in productive debates about important matters. Team members will avoid conflict, creating artificial harmony. This establishes a work environment where team members do not openly express their opinions, resulting in lower-quality outcomes and decisions.

One effective way to resolve this is by appointing a 'devil's advocate' for the meeting. Let one person find faults in any suggestion, while also encouraging other team members to defend their viewpoints.

Write down all the pros and cons pointed out in a shared document. This will demonstrate to your team that expressing opposing ideas is highly beneficial for the project's outcome. It also helps in training the team's critical thinking to identify flaws and blind spots in the presented ideas.

Following the fear of conflict, if this team can't resolve the second dysfunction, it won't be easy for team members to commit to and accept decisions. Productive teams make decisions together and transparently. And this can only happen when they are confident that they have the support of each team member. To achieve this, it is not necessary to seek consensus, but rather to ensure that everyone's voice is heard.

There are several strategies that can help overcome this team dysfunction. First, create a rule to summarize all the important decisions made during a meeting and also document all the reasons that were used to arrive at those decisions. Set clear deadlines not only for actions but also for decisions. This way, team members can take responsibility for reaching the best possible decision and commit to it, rather than simply postponing the solution.

Following the lack of commitment, if this team can't address the third dysfunction, it is very challenging for people to take responsibility. In a well-functioning team, each team member takes ownership of their deliverables, reminds colleagues of their responsibilities, and accepts accountability when necessary.

You can resolve this dysfunction by measuring progress clearly, conducting regular assessments, and rewarding team achievements instead of individual accomplishments.

Following the avoidance of accountability, if this team can't address the fourth dysfunction, it won't be able to prioritize team results. When individuals are not held accountable, team members naturally tend to focus on their own interests instead of the team's interests.

To keep your team focused on common results, it is vital to have clear metrics for evaluating outcomes. If the team already knows how to maintain mutual accountability, they will strive for common goals rather than individual ones. As with avoiding accountability, rewards should be based on the team's performance, not individual results and achievements.