Just because you call a group of people a team doesn't mean that they will practice team work. Generally speaking teams are very poorly managed. Most managers will accept that 20% of the team will produce 80% of the results. This is a common phenomenon in all groups of people and is part of the myth that it is human nature. In reality, it is the outcome of the way consequences are managed within a team or a group.

One of the difficulties faced by the leader is that most literature on work teams is inaccurate and misleading. For example, there is this prevailing view that equality in the way team members are treated is central to successful team leadership. Where there are varying levels of effort in team accomplishment, this should be reflected in the varying levels of reinforcement.

When 20% of the team members have created 80% of the results they will become resentful if they are the recipients of equal rewards of the whole team. Therefore, the best performers get punished instead of receiving positive reinforcement. On the other hand, the low performers are rewarded handsomely for their low contribution.

It is the leader's job to ensure equal efforts from all. If the efforts are not equal then the appropriate positive or negative consequences should be applied to modify the situation. No matter what happens, the leader should demonstrate awareness over which members of the team have produced the 80% of the results. It's vitally important that these people know that their efforts are recognized by the leader. In some organizations this can be difficult, because the leader is removed from direct contact with their followers. It is a leadership responsibility to identify and recognize those high performing team members.

The failure to recognize these people will cause the extinction of their high performance. Remember that you can't positively reinforce a team you can only positively reinforce the behavior of team members. It is a leadership responsibility to ensure that someone knows the reinforcers for each team member and that they are used to recognize individual effort.

There is a temptation to try and be efficient by recognizing the whole team as a collective unit. If each individual has not earned specific positive reinforcement, then your sweeping comments can create dissent among the team members and severely damage your credibility.

This can be avoided by being in constant contact with the team members as they move towards milestones and goals. This is when your positive reinforcement can be applied and not just after the final accomplishment. When you do this you will know more about the progress and you will be demonstrating your interest and the importance of the team members' work. The very process of constant contact will provide positive reinforcement for their contribution.