Common Causes of Dysfunction in Executive Teams – and How to Fix Them
Executive teams are crucial for providing leadership and making important strategic decisions in an organization. However, even the most talented executive teams can become dysfunctional over time.
Allowing dysfunction to fester in an executive team can significantly damage an organization's performance and health. A dysfunctional executive team lacks the unified leadership required to drive organizational strategy, make timely decisions, and model desired behaviors. Mixed messages from executives cause confusion downstream. Lack of trust and commitment at the top filters down into cynicism, selfish behaviors, and reduced collaboration in the broader organization. Employees disengage when executives are not aligned on mission and values.
Ultimately, organizations with dysfunctional executive teams suffer declines in innovation, productivity, and revenue growth. Turnover increases while morale plummets. Dysfunction at the top becomes cancerous unless addressed quickly and decisively.
Here are some of the most common causes of dysfunction in executive teams and how to address them:
Lack of Trust
Trust is the foundation for any well-functioning team. Without trust between team members, there tends to be second-guessing of motives, closed communications, and unhealthy conflict. Building trust requires team members to demonstrate vulnerability, accountability, and commitment to the team. Executive coaching from experts like Hoola Hoop or off-site team-building activities can help build trust. Activities that encourage opening up about personal experiences and emotions can strengthen interpersonal bonds.
Unclear Roles and Responsibilities
When roles and responsibilities between team members are ill-defined, overlap, or conflict, it creates tension, confusion, and drops in productivity. The CEO and team leaders need to clearly define each role and its responsibilities. Documented RACIs (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) are useful for mapping roles. Regularly reviewing and updating role definitions ensures continuity as the business evolves.
Poor Communication
Executive teams that lack open, transparent, and constructive communication tend to misalign. Leaders must actively listen, provide clear expectations, give direct feedback, and create a psychologically safe environment for sharing ideas. Implementing team communication protocols and channels can improve alignment. Scheduling regular team meetings and check-ins provides rhythms for communication.
Lack of Accountability
Without accountability, mediocre performance becomes the norm. Executives must be willing to challenge each other when expectations aren’t met. Leaders should connect individual goals to team goals, conduct regular performance reviews, and provide transparency into metrics. Financial incentives tied to team performance can also drive accountability. Publicly celebrating wins and achievements reinforces accountability.
Unresolved Conflicts
Interpersonal conflicts, power struggles, and ego battles left unaddressed lead to resentment between team members and create a toxic culture. Leaders need to surface conflicts quickly and resolve them constructively through compromise, coaching, or mediation. Implementing conflict resolution processes and ground rules can temper unhealthy discord. Team-building exercises that require cooperation can ease tensions.
Lack of Commitment to Shared Goals
When executives have misaligned personal agendas or lack commitment to collective goals, the team splinters. The CEO must rally executives around a unifying vision, values, and strategy. Cascading team goals through the organization and making progress transparent helps maintain alignment. Annual off-site strategy sessions can recharge commitment. Celebrating milestones and wins keeps goals salient.
With some focused effort on building trust, improving communication, clarifying roles, increasing accountability, resolving conflicts, and committing to shared goals, executive teams can overcome dysfunction and maximize their leadership potential.
Organizational success depends on a cohesive and effective executive team. Maintaining team cohesion requires ongoing effort as challenges emerge.
Allowing dysfunction to fester in an executive team can significantly damage an organization's performance and health. A dysfunctional executive team lacks the unified leadership required to drive organizational strategy, make timely decisions, and model desired behaviors. Mixed messages from executives cause confusion downstream. Lack of trust and commitment at the top filters down into cynicism, selfish behaviors, and reduced collaboration in the broader organization. Employees disengage when executives are not aligned on mission and values.
Ultimately, organizations with dysfunctional executive teams suffer declines in innovation, productivity, and revenue growth. Turnover increases while morale plummets. Dysfunction at the top becomes cancerous unless addressed quickly and decisively.
Here are some of the most common causes of dysfunction in executive teams and how to address them:
Lack of Trust
Trust is the foundation for any well-functioning team. Without trust between team members, there tends to be second-guessing of motives, closed communications, and unhealthy conflict. Building trust requires team members to demonstrate vulnerability, accountability, and commitment to the team. Executive coaching from experts like Hoola Hoop or off-site team-building activities can help build trust. Activities that encourage opening up about personal experiences and emotions can strengthen interpersonal bonds.
Unclear Roles and Responsibilities
When roles and responsibilities between team members are ill-defined, overlap, or conflict, it creates tension, confusion, and drops in productivity. The CEO and team leaders need to clearly define each role and its responsibilities. Documented RACIs (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) are useful for mapping roles. Regularly reviewing and updating role definitions ensures continuity as the business evolves.
Poor Communication
Executive teams that lack open, transparent, and constructive communication tend to misalign. Leaders must actively listen, provide clear expectations, give direct feedback, and create a psychologically safe environment for sharing ideas. Implementing team communication protocols and channels can improve alignment. Scheduling regular team meetings and check-ins provides rhythms for communication.
Lack of Accountability
Without accountability, mediocre performance becomes the norm. Executives must be willing to challenge each other when expectations aren’t met. Leaders should connect individual goals to team goals, conduct regular performance reviews, and provide transparency into metrics. Financial incentives tied to team performance can also drive accountability. Publicly celebrating wins and achievements reinforces accountability.
Unresolved Conflicts
Interpersonal conflicts, power struggles, and ego battles left unaddressed lead to resentment between team members and create a toxic culture. Leaders need to surface conflicts quickly and resolve them constructively through compromise, coaching, or mediation. Implementing conflict resolution processes and ground rules can temper unhealthy discord. Team-building exercises that require cooperation can ease tensions.
Lack of Commitment to Shared Goals
When executives have misaligned personal agendas or lack commitment to collective goals, the team splinters. The CEO must rally executives around a unifying vision, values, and strategy. Cascading team goals through the organization and making progress transparent helps maintain alignment. Annual off-site strategy sessions can recharge commitment. Celebrating milestones and wins keeps goals salient.
With some focused effort on building trust, improving communication, clarifying roles, increasing accountability, resolving conflicts, and committing to shared goals, executive teams can overcome dysfunction and maximize their leadership potential.
Organizational success depends on a cohesive and effective executive team. Maintaining team cohesion requires ongoing effort as challenges emerge.