It would have to be a virtual team, tied together by groupware. That term embraces old technologies, like phone and fax, plus the newer ones, like e-mail, teleconferencing and threaded discussions. The latter allows users to sort verbal interchanges by topic, person, date and time. Virtual teaming, via the Internet, is sometimes the only way this can be accomplished. Teaming was just becoming popular in the early 1990s when our book The Wisdom of Teams became a bestseller.
Real teams demand hard-nosed application of certain principles.
As to the latter, it is not too much to say that in a good team people really do rise above their own egos to serve a common cause. Our conclusion is that the Net is both a blessing and a curse to teams. It has a negative influence on enjoying a quiet dinner. But being part of a virtual team is also exciting and rewarding. You will work with great people.