When a Team Is Not a Team

Accomplishing the work of a project can require the effort of several people without requiring them to work as a cooperative unit. For example, hosting a major conference can require hundreds of people to perform in the right place at exactly the right time, but many of the performers won't interact with each other at any time before, during, or after the conference. Caterers, conference speakers, audio/visual equipment technicians, and trade-show vendors all play a key role, yet each is typically managed directly by the conference management team, with no communication among themselves.