Building a Strong Team: Lessons from The Five Dysfunctions of a Team for Our Maris Journey and Beyond

Hey team,

Hope you’re all hanging in there. I’ve been thinking (maybe a little too much, honestly) about how we’re working together on this Maris one month sprint, and, well, I just finished reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. Yeah, it’s a business book, but hear me out, it actually kinda smacked me in the face with how much it fits what we’re trying to do here.

So, even though we’re only teamed up for a month, the stuff in this book? It’s totally long-haul material. Doesn’t matter if you’re doing a startup, a group project, or workplaces, if people are involved, these “dysfunctions” sneak in.

Let’s break it down, and I’ll use our Maris Survey Outreach as the guinea pig.

When we first started this project, most of us didn’t know each other. That’s exciting, but it also means we didn’t automatically have trust. And trust is the foundation of any team. Not just “I trust you to do your job,” but deeper trust the kind where people feel safe enough to say “I’m struggling,” or “I don’t understand this,” or “I have a different idea.” Without that, people stay silent, nod along, and carry stress alone. So I want to say clearly: being quiet, ignoring problems, or not being honest isn’t helpful or cool. It doesn’t help you, the team, or the project. We need everyone to speak up, share ideas, and be real about how things are going. That kind of openness builds real trust and respect.

Seriously, if we don’t know you need help, how can we help? Keeping quiet or pretending everything’s fine doesn’t do anyone any favors. So let’s just be real with each other, yeah? Speak up, toss out your ideas, even if they sound wild, and let us know what’s up. That’s how we’re gonna crush this project together.

The second dysfunction is fear of conflict, and this is a big one. It’s easy to feel like, “Let me not say anything, I don’t want to start problems,” especially in a new team. But the truth is, healthy conflict is necessary. Let’s say someone disagrees with how we’re doing outreach or thinks another way might be more effective that kind of input is valuable. We need different opinions. We don’t grow from fake harmony. You’re allowed to disagree with me as your team lead. I want you to challenge ideas respectfully. Speak up if something isn’t working, if you have a new approach, or even if you just need clarity.

Then there’s lack of commitment, which usually shows up after conflict is avoided. When people don’t voice their opinions, they also don’t fully buy in to decisions. So later on, they might not give their full energy or stay consistent. In our survey program, that could look like starting strong, then slowly disengaging, not updating the group, or delaying outreach. It’s not always because someone doesn’t care, sometimes it’s because they didn’t feel heard from the beginning. That’s why I want us to have open communication early, so when we move forward, it’s with everyone on board.

The fourth dysfunction is avoidance of accountability. In a team like ours, this could mean noticing that someone hasn’t posted in a while, or maybe isn’t sharing updates, but staying quiet about it. Real teams check in on each other. That’s not policing, it’s caring. If I miss something, I expect you to remind me. If you’re falling behind, let us know. If someone else is, check in and offer support. We’re not here to embarrass each other, we’re here to lift each other up. Accountability is a two-way street.

Finally, inattention to results is when people focus more on personal tasks than the team’s shared goals. In our case, this might look like only caring about how your outreach looks on Instagram, instead of asking, “Is our team actually reaching our target goal together?” Are we hitting 1,000 responses? Are we creating real conversations about cancer awareness and sustainable skincare? Are we helping each other or just focused on individual wins?

And don’t forget this is also an opportunity to network. We’re all building something powerful together, but we’re also building connections. The person you’re working with today might be your co-founder, collaborator, or biggest plug tomorrow. Let’s learn from each other, encourage each other, and grow together. Everyone here is good at something don’t miss your chance to connect and learn beyond the task at hand.

Here’s what it all boils down to:

If we actually want to make this one-month sprint work, we need to be intentional about results, sure, but also about how we operate together. We should create an environment where people are upfront, open to feedback, and comfortable sharing their honest opinions. Perfection? Not the goal. What matters is that everyone shows up, pulls their weight, and flags issues when they spot them.

We’re not all cut from the same cloth, someone’s a content expert, someone else has a killer network, another’s great at building relationships. That’s an asset. I’m learning as we go, too, so don’t hold back on feedback. If something’s working, tell me. If something’s not, say so. If you’ve got ideas to improve things, I want to hear them.

This book was a solid reminder that teamwork isn’t just about getting things done, it’s about trust, transparency, and a shared mission. These lessons aren’t just for Maris. Apply them wherever you go, school, future roles, side projects, you name it.

Bottom line, if there’s one thing you take from this sprint, let it be that we grow by learning from each other. Let’s move forward with focus, respect, and trust. What we’re building matters, and I’m proud to do it alongside this team.