"Why was this not brought to my attention sooner?"

Recently a Client I have contact with once every year or two called me and said, "Chris, I believe I have a problem..." He then proceeded to share with me that during a recent team meeting he was made aware of a potential risk - a potentially significant issue had presented itself. He was particularly concerned because this situation had progressed further than it should have. Naturally, he had the question, "Why was this not brought to my attention sooner?"

No one said anything.

It was brought to his attention. He simply missed the email.

After the meeting, a team member gingerly approached him and said, "I believe we all received the same same email that you received, Fred."

He was floored. He realized his team had returned to some old dysfunctions and and called me to help him guide him and his team back into alignment.

I only wish this were an infrequent occurrence. 

If you have ever been in a meeting where the real issue—the one everyone knows is a problem—remains unspoken, you have seen the moose on the table. Teams often avoid critical conversations - productive ideological conflict, not because they do not recognize the issues, but because they are afraid. Afraid of conflict, repercussions, or even just the discomfort of addressing what truly matters. If you want a high-performing team, you need to make sure fear is not running the show.

Why Teams Are Afraid to Talk About the Real Issues

Fear in teams does not just come from nowhere. It is often rooted in several key dynamics:

• Position Power – When the boss dominates conversations or is perceived as intolerant of dissent, team members hesitate to speak up.

• Reputation Risk – People fear looking incompetent, so they keep quiet rather than admitting concerns, mistakes, or gaps in knowledge.

• Personality Style Differences – Some people are naturally more dominant, while others avoid conflict at all costs. When teams do not acknowledge these differences, quieter voices get drowned out.

• Past Punishment – If someone has been ridiculed or dismissed before, they will be reluctant to bring up tough topics again.

• Unclear Expectations – If team members do not know if honest debate is encouraged, they default to playing it safe.

The Power of Productive Ideological Conflict

Patrick Lencioni’s work in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team highlights the importance of productive ideological conflict—open, passionate debates about ideas. When teams engage in this kind of conflict:

• They make better decisions because they consider multiple perspectives.

• They move faster because problems are surfaced and addressed early.

• They build stronger trust because everyone knows that disagreement is not personal—it is about getting to the best outcome.

Ray Dalio, in Principles, reinforces this idea, stating, “The best ideas win when there is open and thoughtful disagreement.” He emphasizes that teams should create an environment where “meaningful work and meaningful relationships are achieved through radical truth and radical transparency.” Without productive conflict, teams suffer from artificial harmony—meetings where everyone nods in agreement but walks away with lingering frustrations and unresolved issues.

Team Hygiene: Working on How Your Team Works Together

Chances are you take a shower on a daily basis. You probably even brush your teeth. We all know that as "personal hygiene". Personal hygiene is defined as "the practices and habits that maintain cleanliness and promote health." 

Team Hygiene is the sum total of disciplined practices and habits that maintain trust, productive ideological debate, commitment, accountability, and ultimately results. Team Hygiene is best achieved by proactively working on cleaning up The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

A truly elite team does not just work on business problems; they work on how they function as a team. Just as companies set strategic priorities, great teams set priorities for how they collaborate, communicate, and make decisions.

According to the Rockefeller Habits, a healthy executive team meets regularly, engages in constructive debate, and continuously educates itself. The best teams:

• Understand each other’s differences, priorities, and styles.

• Have structured meeting rhythms to discuss major issues.

• Regularly collect and act on employee feedback to improve team dynamics.

• Invest in ongoing executive education to stay sharp.

Great Teams Know Each Other’s Personalities, Quirks, and Histories

Trust is not built through forced team-building exercises—it is built when team members genuinely understand and respect each other’s backgrounds, communication styles, and motivations. When teams:

• Acknowledge personality differences, they avoid misinterpreting behavior.

• Share personal histories, they create empathy and stronger bonds.

• Are open about work preferences and stress triggers, they collaborate more effectively.

Mining for Conflict and Sharpening the Blade

Great teams do not just tolerate conflict—they mine for it. They actively seek out differing opinions and encourage rigorous debate. But they do not stop there. They also:

• Practice using The Five Dysfunctions of a Team framework regularly.

• Make working on team effectiveness a quarterly priority, just like business goals.

• Ensure accountability and alignment so that discussions lead to real improvements.

Smart Teams Work on How They Work Together

If your team is only discussing business results and not how they work together, you are missing a massive opportunity. Strategic teams dedicate time—at least once per quarter—to evaluating and improving their dynamics. They make team hygiene a non-negotiable part of their growth strategy.

So, about that moose on the table—are you ready to finally talk about it? Because the best teams do not just recognize the moose. They deal with it head-on.