12 Angry Men a Review of Dysfunctional Teams

12 Angry Men: A Review of Dysfunctional Teams The classic movie, 12 Angry Men, was first filmed in 1957 starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Martin Balsam. It was remade in 1997 with Tony Danza, James Gandolfini, and Jack Lemmon. Although the recreation of the film was updated to suit the audience, the story of twelve strangers coming together to make the decision over one man’s life is what holds the viewers’ attention. Although the story revolves around a young 18-year-old Latino boy who has been accused of stabbing his father to death with a knife, the viewers are carried through the plot by observing the dysfunctional behaviors of the jurors. The five characteristics of a dysfunctional team according to Patrick Lencioni are absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. Even though this team experiences each of these obstacles, the strengths of the individuals overcome to reach the unanimous not-guilty verdict. This paper will highlight the individuals’ strengths and weaknesses and will provide insight on the decision making process that applies to working on a team. The evidence of absence of trust is clear from the beginning of the film. None of the jurors trust each other. Juror #3 and Juror #8 exemplify a lack of trust throughout the film. During a heated debate Juror #8 finally confronts Juror #3 and asks him, “Are you his executioner? Perhaps you’d like to pull the switch.” Clearly these words show how extreme the lack of trust is. Juror #8 does not believe that Juror #3 is making his conclusions based on case evidence. Because Juror #8 knows that Juror #3 has misplaced intentions, he cannot trust him. Because Juror #8 has the integrity to ensure that a not-guilty verdict is unanimous, he uses his Influencer personality type to persuade Juror #3. An Influencer personality has the strength to persuade those around him. He forces Juror #3 to examine the reason why is so quickly

Citations: * 12 Angry Men. Dir. Sidney Lumet. Orion-Nova, 1957. Film. * Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. * Buckingham, M. (2011). Standout. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.