The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

I can't say anything new that hasn't already been covered here. This is an excellent book, particularly for the business owner, manager, or empowered supervisor. If you hold these positions and follow the guidelines of this book you will have a more responsive workforce. If you are an employee working for a employer who follows the advice in the book, you will gain much insight and useful information as well. However, if you are an employee in a bad group situation, many suggestions covered in this book are merely bandaids for problems that may be unsolvable. If you're working for a person who is authoritarian or insecure there is little in this book that will help you change their approach to management. Perhaps you should focus an equal amount of time in considering a job change. Life is too short to work for team leaders who won't use the good advice in the book.

I had to read this book for a class of mine and fortunately I loved it. The lessons are told through fictional characters; however, it's easy to see how the dysfunctions can apply towards your own teams.

Although this book contains some good ideas, it is not based on research on teams. Some of its suggestions have even been proven wrong. Instead of this book, I highly recommend Richard Hackman's "Leading Teams," which is based on decades of research, is very readable (no academic jargon), immensely practical (especially if you use some of the free tools he offers on his website), and won the best book of the year award from the Academy of Management.

Easy read. Points made in book are easily transferable to your team. Drives home the importance of a functional team.

I highly recommend this fast reading, very interesting and informative book to any managers that have a group struggling to work effectively and together as a team. I have begun addressing and discussing the dysfunctions with my team and have seen results and changes already. Great book!