AbstractWith today's emphasis on crossfunctional teams, natural work groups, and continuous improvement task forces, companies must learn to formally plan and review the activities of these emerging horizontal organizations. The traditional command‐and‐control structures had their teams, but they were vertical. Employees belonged to the sales team or the internal audit team, and the boss was responsible for managing the team. Now, with the growing evolution of networking across departmental boundaries, team meeting skills are vital to the success of the teams and their organizations. This article outlines the self‐discipline required for teams when they've been granted decision‐making authority.