http://www.bnet.com/blog/ceo/7-rules-for-building-a-kick-ass-team/4372?tag=content;drawer-container

1. Everyone knew the goal. The goal was to achieve what we called “first pass success,” meaning the chips worked the first time without any errors. A second pass added significant time and expense to the project.  
2. Everyone knew the schedule. Not just a single deadline, but a detailed project milestone chart. Everyone always knew where we stood.
3. Everyone knew their responsibilities. Everyone had a function and everyone knew what that was, although it often changed during the project on an as-needed basis.
4. We were competing with other project teams. There were multiple teams working on similar projects in the same department and physical location. We shared ideas and insights, but there was also an element of friendly competition. 
5. We spent a lot of time not heads-down working. We had ad-hoc meetings constantly and in real-time as problems arose. We frequently goofed around and went out for lunch and after work, but not “as a team,” it just sort of happened. 
6. Management left us alone. I reported status to management, which communicated to our customer. Otherwise, the team was left alone. Managers did some walking around, but they were lighthearted and conversational, not critical. 
7. Compensation was not tied to results. The pay was the same no matter what happened. And there was no time clock.