Have you ever been part of a dysfunctional team? Whether it’s because everyone is too nice to each other, hates each other or just aren’t able to work together, you know how frustrating it can be. There’s a goal that needs to be achieved and other than the ability to work together as a team you have everything to get the job done. But the team simply can’t get it’s act together long enough to do it.

When you’re in this situation and especially if you’re leading the dysfunctional team, it’s more important than ever before to take a step back and figure out why your team isn’t able to collaborate as it should. No matter how fast you’re running against the clock, asking the 5 questions below will help you get your team aligned and start moving down the road to accomplishing your goals as one well-oiled machine.

1. Does the team have aspirational goal(s) and is everyone aware of what they are?

There are two things that every aspirational goal must be: clear and meaningful. It cannot be some vague, abstract concept that people just can’t relate to. I remember, someone once told me, the best writing is that which can be understood by a 4th grader. The same applies to goals. They should not be articulated in complex language. And once you’ve communicated goals be it through a document or a meeting, you must continuously keep reinforcing them. Lunch time discussions, during meetings and simply making yourself available are good ways to achieve this.

If you have a dysfunctional team, chances are this is your first major problem. Solve this and you’ll be able to deal with the rest.

2. Are there clear steps defined to get to these goals and does everyone know what they are?

So assuming everyone knows what the goals are, do they all know how you and the rest of them plan on getting there? As a leader it’s sometimes so easy to just have the path of success in your mind (or keep modifying the old one) and assume that you’ll be able to get people there one step at a time. I guarantee you, this will not work.

If your team isn’t aware of all the steps, they’re essentially missing the bigger picture and this is often one cause of a dysfunctional team.

3. Is everyone clear about their roles in achieving these goals?

This questions is especially important for a startup or a new project with a small team. In such cases we often assume that everyone “will do whatever is necessary” to get the job done. And though people usually are willing to do this, they’re also very quick to point fingers when something goes wrong. So if you have cross-functional tasks being done by your individuals in your teams, that’s okay. Just make sure you they know what’s expected of them.

Fractures start occurring in a team when people feel like they’re being singled out for not getting things done. If everyone knows what’ they’re doing this is less likely to occur.

4. Is there a leader who is accountable for deliverables from beginning to end?

As leadership theories grow and mature, the concept of having everyone on equal footings is becoming more popular. However, as teams work on projects, especially large ones, there needs to be one person who’s making sure that everything is being completed on time and within resources. Thus, if there’s a dysfunctional team that’s forming or already in existence, they can flash the red light when things start going off course. This of course is often the responsibility of a project manager.

I’m not necessarily saying project managers need to be held accountable for all deliverables. They do need to be the ones that monitor all deliverables from beginning to end.

5. Is the project regularly being evaluated and are adjustments being made accordingly?

This ties into point 4 directly. Even high performing teams go off course and need adjustments t be made to their project plan. If you have a dysfunctional team, this is even more important. Again a project manager will be able to adjust timelines and resource allocations which just may give your team the time they need to recover from the challenges their facing and start focusing on the task at hand. Who knows, with your leadership they just might be able to accomplish everything that they set out to do.

Adjustment to plans are nothing to be worried about. They’re absolutely necessary to get things done realistically. Every project has hurdles and a dysfunctional team will have a few additional ones to handle as well.

Once you’ve answered these questions, here are 10 Tips to Turn Your Dysfunctional Team Around. It’s not the end of the world when a team is going through some challenges but it sure is important to address them. If you’re wondering how to create a high performing team, download this High Performing Team Spiral and learn the stages you need to go through to get your team there.