Why are teams popular? In short, because we believe they are effective. A team of people happily committed to the project and to one another will outperform a brilliant individual every time. They can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband. Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. They are an effective means to democratize organizations and increase employee involvement.

The fact that organizations have embraced teamwork doesn’t necessarily mean teams are always effective. Team members be swayed by fads and herd mentality that can lead them astray from the best decisions.