Effective teams have adequate resources, effective leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions. These teams have individuals with technical expertise, and the right traits and skills.

Effective teams tend to be small. They have members who fill role demands and who prefer to be part of a group.

Effective teams have members who believe in the team’s capabilities, are committed to a common plan and purpose, and have an accurate shared mental model of what it is to be accomplished.

Select individuals who have the interpersonal skills to be effective team players; provide training to develop teamwork skills; and reward individuals for cooperative efforts.

Do not assume that teams are always needed. When tasks will not benefit from interdependency, individuals may be the better choice.