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erating problem-solving and giving team members more time to spend with clients and colleagues.Action plan. Identify the metrics that matter most (shift-changeover time, perhaps), hypothesize which actions could improve performance in those areas (preassigned workstations, perhaps), and embed technologies in the operating system (a smart-planning app, perhaps) to enable continuous improvement.It%u2019s important that teams be able to make their own improvements%u2014something that requires transparency and trust between company leaders and managers. It also requires an operating system that is flexible enough for team members to easily adapt in real time. Continuous improvement can occur only when all perspectives are considered and all teams have access to a centralized knowledge repository.Finally, it may be useful to set up a center of excellence, staffed with full-time employees with experience in analytics and operating system design. The center%u2019s task would be to identify the rituals, data, and continuous learning practices that are most likely to deliver the best outcomes for a given team.Organizations that embrace the three principles we%u2019ve laid out here will find that a feedback loop develops in which everything%u2014from learning to employees to clients to performance is connected. Admittedly, this approach to teamwork requires resources, time, and accountability from senior leaders. But the investment can yield substantial rewards: Our research has shown that executives are five times as productive when working in highperforming teams as they are in average ones. And experience has shown that the most expensive team is one that is struggling.In a world in which working together is more complex than ever%u2014and more difficult to get right%u2014the new science of teamwork provides organizations with a framework for continuous learning, improvement, and success.