What are the pros and cons of reorganizing the office into a team? Who should be on the team?

Team Leader’s Challenge 1 You have just become the manager of an insurance office with five professional agents and several clerical assistants. The office is part of a larger company headquartered in another city. Your office handles both sales and the processing of insurance claims. The office has been traditionally organized, with the manager running the office and supervising each employee individually. You have heard a lot about the advantages of shifting to teamwork—it is popular in the business press. Shifting to teamwork is supposed to improve customer service, make the office more responsive to changes, and improve morale. However, you have also heard that it can be difficult to create and manage teams. You are comfortable and capable as a traditional manager, but think maybe you should try something new, such as teamwork. What are the pros and cons of reorganizing the office into a team? Who should be on the team? Should the team include both the professionals and the clerical assistants? How much authority or control should you maintain over the team?