I am stuck on a dysfunctional team and want out.

1. “The first question I have is: where do you show up in the dysfunction? There is no such thing as an innocent victim – we all contribute to the team dynamics.”
2. “As yourself how you got there. In many cases we are drawn to dysfunction and simply leaving will only mean we gravitate toward an equally dysfunctional team. We have to recognize our own culpability in the dysfunction.”
3. “Determine if the dysfunction can be resolved. If it is caused by individuals or just a poor system. If it is the system make suggestions for change. System dysfunction can be changed. People dysfunction is a tougher task.”
4. “It depends on what is making the team dysfunctional. If the team is dysfunctional due to lack of leadership by the supervisor I would attempt to sit down with my supervisor and offer suggestions on how the team could become more functional without directly stating it is because the supervisor is not being a good leader.”
5. “Every member of the team is responsible for keeping it connected and cohesive. It is a common misconception that the ‘leader’ must fix any dysfunction – and even worse, the ‘leader’ might be the root cause of the dysfunction. Chances are relatively high that others on the team feel it is dysfunctional as well. My advice, be open in your communications, determine who else feels the issue and take control. The team is rarely about one member or ‘leader’ and any/all of you can take the lead to help remedy the problem. My experience is that most dysfunction centers around communication or alignment issues – all easily remedied.”
6. “Approach the team lead and/or manager sponsoring the team and outline your reasons clearly but also propose fixes which if not adopted or acceptable will form the basis of your exit.”
7. “Evaluate what I’m getting from this team, the pros and cons of leaving vs. staying. If you do decide to leave do it professionally and respectfully – don’t burn any bridges.”
8. “Is the team dysfunctional or is it just not a good fit for you? It is fine if you want to leave the team but don’t bash it because it isn’t what you’re looking for.”
9. “If the problems are around personal relationships on the team, team members need to work out their differences. The team will not function effectively if the individual relationships are not functioning well. Team members need to realize that they are there to do a job and need to find a way to put their personal differences aside and work collaboratively. Honestly, teams would function a lot more effectively if everyone could just act mature and take responsibility for their own behavior and stop pointing fingers.”
10. “I was on what I would describe as a dysfunctional team but it was mostly because people didn’t really know one another or what one another did. We went through a team building program, starting meeting more regularly as a whole team, shadowed each other on the job and did some cross training. All of those things really helped a lot.”
11. “Teams can be dysfunctional because people have very different objectives and goals. It is important that team members are not setup to compete with one another. Sometimes this is a perception and sometimes it is reality. The manager really needs to see if the team members’ individual goals are aligned with one another and the overall mission of the team. If they are not, he needs to figure out how to correct this.”
12. “First look inward and determine if you are contributing to the dysfunction. I remember advice from my mother when I just couldn’t get on the same page as my Algebra teacher…kill him with kindness, I did and the whole thing turned around, he was ready to make it better the minute I was and we ended up the year in a significantly better place. Since then I look to see if changing elements of my behavior can positively manipulate the relationship back into a functional state.”
13. “All teams are composed of people with different personalities, egos, beliefs, etc. Team members need to respect each other’s differences. The best teams find ways to leverage these differences and make the overall team stronger – not weaker.”
14. “Are you defining dysfunction because you don’t get along with some of your co-workers? If so, maybe it is time that you actually had a conversation with them and tried to get past whatever the personal issues there are. The team isn’t dysfunctional – your relationships are and you need to take responsibility for making them work.”
15. “It is highly unlikely that the team is dysfunctional in every way – something must be working or it would have been broken up by now. Focus on what is working and be thankful for that.”
16. “Unless you are in a position to take another job then I strongly suggest that you do whatever you can to make it a more functional team. Be part of the solution, not the problem.”
17. “I was on a very dysfunctional team – everyone was miserable but people seemed more committed to complaining than actually trying to fix the problems. I asked my team leader if I could have time during a team meeting to discuss something that was important to all of us. At the meeting I stated the obvious that our team was not meeting its goals and objectives and that people were de-moralized. I said that I knew how much talent we had on this team and that I knew we could do better. I asked people to share what they thought the problems were and requested that they also give suggestions on how we could improve. I think that all teams should make a rule that you just can’t complain or say “No” or “It won’t work” unless you have another suggestion. It was definitely awkward and only a few people spoke but it got the ball rolling. We made some changes and people saw positive results and then that built on itself and we have really come a far way. Take the courage to get the ball rolling.”
18. “I was on a team where people simply did not treat each other with respect and it was very destructive. Our supervisor got fired and the new one clearly stated his expectations about how people would treat each other. He actually wrote some people up for speaking disrespectfully and he fired the worst offender. After that people got the message and things started to improve.”
19. “Walking away is a cop out. Work to make things better
20. “I think that people who find themselves on dysfunctional teams also have dysfunctional personal relationships and they are the common denominator. If you’re someone who always finds themselves in dysfunctional relationships, you should probably get some counseling.”
21. “What you label as dysfunctional other people may label as normal working relationships. Most of us experience a lot of stress at work and sometimes we take it out on each other but that doesn’t mean we are dysfunctional. We get our work done and do a good job. I consider that functional.”
22. “I have found that most teams are dysfunctional at some level. What is it that bothers you so much? If you can help fix it then do so, if not, I would suggest that you just let it go and focus on being the best team player you can be.”
23. “What is the source of the dysfunction and who can help fix it? You and your team should address this just as you would any other problem. You need a strategy to diagnose the problems anda game plan to address them.”
24. “Because teams are made up of humans, every team experiences dysfunction from time to time. If the dysfunction is temporary and possibly circumstantial, cope with it. If it is systematic, look for a new team
25. “Are there other team members who share your frustrations? If so, take the lead to bring them together and come up with some concrete suggestions and present them to your boss.”