Tight coupling in high performing teams

This article considers the development of work groups that need to be tightly coupled - that is, have highly sychronized performance that is achieved over time as the team and its leader work together. Such groups impose demands for coordination and learning as the team develops. The article argues that tight coupling and self-reinforcing cycles of continuous improvement occur when learning modes and communication patterns match task requirements at various transition points in the group's evolution and when process intensity matches situational demands and task interdependencies. Implications for research, human resource development, and group facilitation are discussed.