All the panelists stressed that top management support is crucial. Top management should increase the delegation of authorities as the team matures. Without top management support, and without adapting management systems and processes to support team efforts, teams will flounder. According to the panelists, the team needs to ensure that its goals are aligned with organizational goals and then be held responsible for developing an action plan, for assessing its progress using key measures, and for achieving its goals. Team members also need to hold each other mutually accountable.
Team development takes time and patience.
Joel Sacks, Program Analyst with OSHA, summed up his presentation by saying that the process of setting up a team was painful, but that it's well worth it.