Diagnosing Team Dysfunction in Schools

The symptoms are subtle at first:

Fewer questions in meetings. Less collaboration in planning. A lot of “just doing my job.”

No open conflict — but no real cohesion, either.

If you’re a school leader or academic manager, that’s a red flag.

Team dysfunction doesn’t always look like fighting. Sometimes it’s silence, disconnection, or stagnation. And if you don’t intervene early, underperformance becomes the norm.

“When a team is underperforming, we often blame individuals. But unresolved team-level issues — like unclear expectations or lack of trust — are usually the deeper problem.”

— EdWeek: “5 Reasons Your Teaching Team May Be Dysfunctional”

(Full article)

Common signs of dysfunction in schools:

• Decision fatigue — no one wants to own a call

  
  

• Passive disengagement — people withdraw without confrontation

  
  

• Surface-level collaboration — real conversations never happen

The Teach Better team also outlines a familiar set of warning signs:

“When trust is low, accountability disappears. When commitment is unclear, results suffer.”

(Source)

So what can leaders do?

I’ve worked with dozens of academic teams, and here’s a simple diagnostic checklist we use to identify issues early:

• Are your meetings mostly transactional?

  
  

• Are expectations written, shared, and referenced — or assumed?

  
  

• Do team members ask for help, or work around each other in silence?

  
  

• Is feedback routine, or only delivered during a crisis?

If most of these raise questions — your team isn’t broken, but it does need attention.

Three powerful interventions:

Reset expectations and norms — get everyone back to shared purpose

Rebuild safety for feedback — especially peer-to-peer

Realign processes to support behavior — meetings, check-ins, and documentation all matter

As explored in Harvard Business School’s “Team Development Intervention”,

“Without structured support, even well-meaning teams revert to familiar dysfunction. Sustainable change requires process redesign, not just motivation.”

(Case study)

That’s exactly where our work comes in. We help education leaders turn teacher teams into high-functioning, values-driven units through practical systems and thoughtful leadership development.

If your team is running cold, don’t wait for it to collapse — fix the structure.

Let’s talk about how we can support your next team turnaround.

Visit AGNova.net or send a message to start the conversation.

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