While the concept of being a team is widely deliberated, our experience reveals a reality that often differs from the popular images: we find teams are often comprised of members who are seldom together at the same time, and who share an inconsistent sense of connection with one another and with their organisational vision or values. We find teams often ride ‘rollercoasters’ within challenging environments – with peaks of clarity and energy and troughs of ambiguity, sadness and frustration. Our experience is that teams need to learn how to manage being on that rollercoaster ride.