5 Types of Dysfunctional Teams

Are you a leader or member of a dysfunctional workplace team? Which one of the following reality TV shows does your dysfunctional team represent?

1. The Housewives of Any City

This team has strong personalities who believe they’re the star and everyone else orbits around the sun of their presence. Other people exist only to stroke their ego, do their bidding and generally, make them feel like the most important person in the world. They excuse their own poor behavior but they’re very quick to let others know when their feelings have been hurt or you’ve disappointed them, because they deserve better.

2. The Bachelor

You’re a nice team, really. Team members believe it’s more important to be sickly sweet and nice to get the leader’s attention. If someone asks for an opinion, team members are too bland and uninformed to offer a decisive perspective and besides, they wouldn’t want to differ from the leader’s opinions. Everyone would rather take the high road and revel in their sanctimonious behavior than actually do anything that might possibly cause them to lose their “nice person” moniker with the team leader.

3. Hell’s Kitchen

This is the opposite of #2. Yelling to get your point across is considered normal on this team. Dissention and differing opinions are unwelcome. It’s the team leader’s way or the highway and anyone who doesn’t agree is automatically labeled an idiot. You secretly think you’re the only person on the team with any intelligence and demean anyone who makes the slightest mistake. Support and collaboration are foreign words to this team.

4. Survivor

Everyone gets along on this team until it’s time to place blame and look for the sacrificial lamb. Then the finger pointing starts and how people really feel about each other is exposed. Back stabbing is common. Team members live on a diet of paranoia and distrust. You could receive a reward one day and be cut loose the next. Ultimately, people on this team look out for their own interests and use others to get what they want.

5. Amazing Race

This team is fun and adventurous, but ambiguous. You receive little direction or instruction. You’re expected to just figure it out on your own. All of your hard work and effort could go to waste because of someone who can’t understand your simple instructions.Rewards are only for first place finishers and, if you’re falling behind, you’re cut loose so you’re not a burden to the others on the team.