I can't get my employees to work like a team - instead of a bunch of individuals. How do I build team spirit?

A team is made not by trust falls or matching T-shirts but by several components, such as measurable outcomes, autonomy, communication, and recognition.

First, a team works individually and collectively toward measurable outcomes. Each individual's role is clearly defined as well as how it links together with everyone else's goals. Then, once staffers know the goals and their responsibilities in attaining them, they require the decision-making power to get their jobs done.

Another hallmark of a good team is communicating about current projects through regularly scheduled staff meetings. This also prevents staffers from staying in their own "bubbles," thereby fostering a sense of unity.

Finally, studies show that recognition, including public and private praise and even gifts, deepen an individual's investment in the group.

What I've listed here are the barest of bare bones on team building. To learn more, read books such as "Team Building," by William G. Dyer, and "The Wisdom of Teams," by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith. Websites that may be helpful include the human-resources section of About.com (look under team building at www.humanresources.about.com), and the Society for Human Resource Management (www.shrm.org) - simply search for "team building" or "organization development."