Group cohesiveness, and therefore teamwork, is fostered when team members are located close together and can interact frequently and easily. Frequent interaction often leads to camaraderie and a feeling of belongingness. A useful tactic for achieving physical proximity is to establish a shared physical facility, such as a conference room, research library, or beverage lounge. This area should be decorated differently from other areas, and a few amenities should be added, such as a coffeepot, microwave oven, and refrigerator. Team members can then use this area for refreshments and group interaction.

Recognizing the contribution of a shared physical facility to promoting teamwork, many organizations have incorporated more open working space into the workplace, often eliminating private offices and cubicles. Giving rewards for group accomplishment reinforces teamwork because people receive rewards for what they have achieved collaboratively. Most of the work accomplished in organizations requires collaboration. In open-book management, every employee is trained and motivated to understand and pursue the company’s business goals. In this way, employees become business partners and perceive themselves as members of the same team.

In a full form of open-book management, workers share strategic and financial information as well as responsibility. The company also shares risks and rewards based on results, so workers are likely to pull together so that the company can succeed. Part of keeping workers well informed is for company leaders to host roundtable discussions about company financial information. Another approach is to regularly disseminate, by e-mail, information about financial progress.

A foundation strategy for achieving good teamwork is to select members for the team with aptitude, skill, and interest in teamwork. It is best for the team leader to choose workers who ask to be members of a team. A person’s record of past team activity can also help one determine whether that person is an effective team player. Workers can collaborate better when they use information technology that fosters collaboration, often referred to as collaborative software.

Cross-cultural considerations enter into enhancing teamwork as well as in most aspects of leadership. Blending cultural differences is appealing to some workers and might make them more interested in performing as a team.