What are the characteristics of an effective team?

Here is an excellent list from Technology Ventures (Byers/Dorf/Nelson) ...
  • All members share leadership and oownership of the team's tasks
  • Communication is continuous among members in an informal atmosphere
  • Tasks and purposes are well understood
  • People listen to each other and are comfortable with disagreements within the team
  • Most decisions are reached by consensus
  • Feedback on performance is frequent
  • The division of tasks and work effort is clear
  • A collaborative effort is the norm
  • Members set their own, shared interim deadlines for project stages
  • Team members rely on each other and hold each other accountable
  • Teams learn and share their learning