ABSTRACT
Like individuals, teams develop behavioral patterns and habits that are revealed through their practices and actions. As reported from the experience of the real dream teams, their success is driven by their practices and not just their intellectual agreement with the concepts. In a business, for example, strategic planning may be done along with total quality management and even team-building activities. Clearly recognized and reinforced patterns become the standards or norms of the team. Changing team practices and moving toward greater effectiveness has to be a conscious and deliberate process. A long-term commitment and a belief in the process is required to sustain the effort. The core management team can make decisions to override team decisions, but when this happens it is recognized as the worst possible outcome and prompts discussions about how to improve the system.
