Five Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment

Assess the five dysfunctions of trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results so your team can grow stronger together.

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Spot the patterns that hold your team back

Built on the model of the five dysfunctions that undermine teams, this assessment helps groups surface the hidden behaviors that erode trust, stall decisions, and weaken results. By rating each dimension honestly, teams can pinpoint where vulnerability, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and a shared focus on results are breaking down. The conversations it sparks turn uncomfortable patterns into clear, actionable steps for building a more cohesive and high-performing team.

Dimensions

Team Dysfunctions

The five interrelated behaviors that determine whether a team builds trust and delivers results together.

  • Absence of Trust

    The fear of being vulnerable stops us from building trust with each other.

    • We hide weaknesses
    • Trust is uneven
    • We are openly vulnerable

  • Fear of Conflict

    There is artificial harmony which can stifle constructive conflict in the team.

    • We avoid all conflict
    • Conflict is guarded
    • We debate openly

  • Lack of Commitment

    Team members do not follow through on actions due to the lack of clarity or buy in.

    • No real buy-in
    • Partial buy-in
    • Full commitment

  • Avoidance of Accountability

    We do not hold each other accountable for behaviors and performance because we want to avoid interpersonal issues.

    • We avoid accountability
    • Accountability is patchy
    • We hold each other to account

  • Inattention to Collective Results

    There is a focus on individual goals, rather than the collective success of the whole team.

    • Individual goals first
    • Mixed focus
    • Collective results first

When to use this health check

  • When a team feels stuck, divided, or low on trust and you want to understand why
  • During a team offsite or retrospective focused on team dynamics and cohesion
  • When onboarding a new team or leader and establishing a baseline of team health
  • After conflict, missed commitments, or unmet results to diagnose underlying behaviors
  • On a regular cadence to track how team trust and accountability evolve over time

Tips & tricks

  • Reassure participants that responses are anonymous so they answer honestly about sensitive dynamics.
  • Discuss results as a team and look for the lowest-scoring dimension first, since dysfunctions build on one another.
  • Pair the radar with concrete agreements and owners so insights translate into behavior change.
  • Re-run the check after a few months to measure whether interventions are improving team health.
  • Focus the conversation on patterns and behaviors rather than blaming individuals.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Five Dysfunctions of a Team assessment based on?
It is based on the five dysfunctions Patrick Lencioni described in 2002: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. Each layer builds on the one below it. This health check is TeamRetro's own adaptation of that model rather than the official assessment, which belongs to Lencioni's firm, the Table Group.
How should we interpret the scores?
Lower scores highlight where dysfunctions are strongest. Because the dysfunctions build on each other, start by addressing the foundational issues like trust and conflict before moving up the model.
How often should we run this health check?
Running it every one to three months lets you track trends, see whether interventions are working, and keep team health a regular part of your conversations.
Who should take part?
Everyone on the team should participate so the results reflect the full range of perspectives and create a shared starting point for discussion.
Is this the same as a Five Dysfunctions of a Team assessment?
It covers the same five dysfunctions, but it is TeamRetro's own adaptation rather than the official Table Group assessment, and TeamRetro is not affiliated with them. Your team self-rates each of the five dimensions privately, then reads the combined result and the spread together. It is free and takes about ten minutes.
What are the assessment questions?
There are five, one for each dysfunction, and everyone answers them privately on a 1 to 5 scale. Absence of trust runs from "we hide weaknesses and mistakes" to "we are openly vulnerable and trusting". Fear of conflict runs from "we avoid conflict and stay silent" to "we engage in passionate, productive debate". Lack of commitment runs from "decisions lack clarity and buy-in" to "we fully commit to clear decisions". Avoidance of accountability runs from "we avoid holding each other accountable" to "we readily hold each other accountable". Inattention to results runs from "we prioritize individual goals and status" to "we are united on collective results". The team sees the combined scores and the spread, which is where the real conversation starts.

Adapted from the five dysfunctions model set out by Patrick Lencioni in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (2002). The model and the official assessment belong to the Table Group. This is TeamRetro's own adaptation, not the official assessment, and TeamRetro is not affiliated with the Table Group.

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