A team is a group of people who are mutually dependent on each other striving to achieve a common goal. Effective and productive teams, at both the worker and managerial level, are the desired end product of most organisation development interventions. As organisations become more complex in their structures, teamwork through task forces, staffs and so on will become even more important - and thus the importance of team building.

The primary work group is the most important element of your organisation, and the team leader or manager is the link between your primary group and the rest of your organisation. Work groups provide both the setting and opportunity for:

• meeting the primary social relationship and support needs for all members of your work group
• provide work group members a view of your organisation, it's structure and goals
• allowing your work group members to connect with other organisational segments as well as the organisation as a whole.

Given these important functions, the degree to which work groups operate effectively is a critical determinant of the overall effectiveness of your organisation. A full functioning team can be characterized as having members with a high value commitment to both task and maintenance and with high skills in both areas.