One of the greatest challenges in this setting is getting a group such as this to work together as a team. The objective of the team approach is to develop solutions which are better than those any individual would likely produce. In this context, good teamwork results from listening and responding constructively to other's views, support and dedication to shared goals, and full participation. A meeting is a gathering of people with a purpose where communication among participants is the central activity. Most meetings occur in an enclosed space with tables and chairs while the communication media are limited to verbal exchanges and visuals such as paper, overhead projection and video.
Direct communication is largely limited to speech and the passing of documents.
If a team member is trying to explain how an engine works, for example, then the member may use photos, video, diagrams, graphs, and words to foster an understanding for others. Others in the team may use the spoken word and the other representations to query the expert on how the engine works and the terminology which describes it. Without clear communications, the team may spend hours needlessly debating before they recognize and correct a simple misunderstanding. During a design project, a team travels through an abstract domain of ideas in which they collect, compare, join, discard, revise, etc. The path taken includes many decisions made along the way, and a group may use many decision making methods during the design process.