A schedule chart describing who is responsible for each deliverable and when it is due is very important. Products such as Microsoft's Project are designed to create these schedule charts. Teams should take time out for periodic assessment towards their goals. There are several instruments for assessing team performance. One such assessment is described below.
Effective teamwork is essential for innovative and fast paced teams.
Richard Hackman from Harvard University gives these four criteria for effective teams. There are several maturity models of teams. One well-known model of a team life cycle is forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. This model is useful in describing the various phases teams frequently take over time. Another very useful model that addresses teamwork is the Software Engineering Institute's People Capability Maturity Model and Carnegie-Mellon University.