Just because people happen to work together in one department does not mean they make a team. They may be merely a group. Groups seldom achieve great things.

Just imagine if a football team consisted of people who did not compensate for each other’s weaknesses, did not have a common strategy known to everyone, and did not really want to play together. You can easily predict the results they would get. Many groups have learned to become teams that produced breakthrough results. Here are ten ways to do it:

1- Make sure the team has a challenging goal to achieve.

2- Ensure all team members understand the goal and are committed to it.

3- Provide the necessary training to master the needed skills.

4- Stay the course even when things are tough. Keep all eyes on the prize.

5- Resolve conflict before it distracts people and splits the team.

6- Measure the team’s progress, and make the score known to all.

7- Ask team members for their input and find out what they need to win.

8- Encourage diversity of styles within a shared dedication to the goal.

9- The team coach’s role is to motivate and guide, but not to hold players’ hands.

10- Celebrate small wins until you achieve the big one.