Can your ‘Bad Boss’ Really Kill You? The Second Dysfunction of a Team

An article in our national paper today (The Globe and Mail, November 25, 2008) entitled “Are bad bosses killing you?” states that, in addition to being annoying, bad bosses “may also boost the chance of heart attacks.” According to the article, a Swedish study of male workers published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal (released November 24, 2008), found that having an incompetent manager may increase the risk of developing heart disease by 50 percent. And there’s more: The study found that the risk of heart-disease grows the longer a worker stays with the same company.

Just what makes a ‘bad boss’? We all have our own version, I’m sure – there are bosses who are inconsiderate, who bully, who show no acknowledgement of, or appreciation for, the time and energy that we put into our jobs, or who can’t or won’t clearly define how our efforts contribute to the team or to the company as a whole.  The end result is stress for the employee, which can lead to a whole range of ailments, including heart disease. In this economy, if employees don’t feel supported by an HR team, they may feel stuck and unable to make the choice to leave their job.

I’m even more strongly struck by the model in Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which clearly sets out strategies for a ‘good boss’. The book outlines a model of teamwork for organizations, and discusses five typical ‘dysfunctions’ of a team which need to be addressed and solved in order for a team to successfully work its magic.

The first dysfunction was Absence of Trust, which I touched on in my previous post The Power of “Team” in Business – The First Dysfunction. The second dysfunction is Fear of Conflict. Interestingly, this exact issue came up in a discussion I had over lunch just yesterday with a colleague. Something had happened in a meeting and the manager, who is clearly uncomfortable with conflict, was unable to address the issue right away. This resulted in ongoing upset for her direct report. Teams that lack trust are unwilling to engage in unfiltered and passionate (and healthy!) debates of ideas and instead, resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments, creating an air of artificial harmony.

 

How does your team handle conflict or disagreement among the members?
What structure, information and support is in place to help your team members or employees deal with conflict and the resulting stress?

For the team assessment (first mentioned in my previous post), score your team - on a scale of 1 to 3 (1=Rarely, 2=Sometimes, 3=Usually) – on the following statements relating to the dysfunction of Fear of Conflict:

1. Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of issues.

2. Team meetings are compelling, and not boring.

3. During team meetings, the most important – and difficult – issues are put on the table to be resolved.

What’s your total score?

The scoring system works like this:
A score of 8 or 9 is a probable indication that the dysfunction is not a problem for your team.
A score of 6 or 7 indicates that the dysfunction could be a problem.
A score of 3 to 5 is probably an indication that the dysfunction needs to be addressed.

Even if your team’s score is a 9, its important to remember that every team needs constant work; without it, even the best teams may deviate toward dysfunction.

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If you are curious about what Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching can do for you and your business partnership or team, feel free to send me an email at trilogy@pathcom.com to request a complimentary sample session.

Warmly,
Jennifer