Your people may all be good workers as individuals but they may simply not hit it off as a team.

Unhappiness creates ineffectuality - so don't ignore the warning signs if you know people don't get on together. But by the time you notice there's something wrong, it may be too late to change the format of your teams. It's far easier to make sure you've placed the right people together from the start. So before you begin allocating people to teams, get a sample of their writing - and here's what to look for:

First notice the general, overall effect. As you might expect, the more similar the pattern of writing, the more alike these people will be in personality - which means they'll probably enjoy each others company. But don't let this be your deciding factor, you're not running a matchmaking agency. Team members need to have some different characteristics in order to fulfil their own part of the project.

Next study the height and the width of the letters and the spacing between words. People who write in a closed cramped style, cramming in their words, tend to speak in the same way. They have fixed views and will fiercely adhere to their opinions. They will work well with the introvert who has to concentrate on figures or precise details all day, provided they meet each other's criteria. Those with evenly spaced writing are happy to talk with all and sundry. But they know when to talk and when to work - and they're good problem solvers, so they'll know how to handle any type of person according to their needs.

Now look at the slope of the writing. This indicates whether the writer is introvert or extrovert. It's usually good to get a mixture of slopes to get a balanced team - but avoid the ones that are very exaggeratedly forward or backward sloping. The forward sloping ones are often pushy, trying to impose their opinions on others. Whilst the heavy backward slopers are highly individual - they're loners, rather than team players. You might do better to find a role for them where they don't have to commit to other people.

Finally note the way the writers join their letters. Some similarities here are important as this shows the way they approach problems and adapt to new ideas. People who join all their letters tend to think before they act and co-ordinate their ideas well. Those who don't join their letters very often act first and think later. The two groups could irritate each other immensely. If you want a really good team look for those who join their letters in small groups rather than words. These are the adaptable people. They know how to combine logic with intuition to cope with present and still look for new ideas.