What're little-known practices that make for great development teams?

Question

I'm curious about perhaps little-known (or not widely discussed) practices that you've encountered in your career that clearly set a development team you were in apart from other development teams you had previously worked in.From time to time, particularly when changing jobs, we are exposed to different and sometimes enlightening development practices that more or less change our professional mindset for the better. That kind of thing that in hindsight seems like something we should've already been doing for a long time.In that sense, what's a development practice you came across that's left that impression you?Thanks in advance!

leed25d · Accepted Answer

In the early, to mid-1980s I was on a team of four people writing an order entry system. It was a project that ran for about 2 years to successful completion and it was in maintenance mode for another 10 years after that.
In my view, one of the things that contributed to the smooth execution of that project was that we all read the same book at about the same time. The book was "Goedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid". Ideas from the book framed many of our design meetings and conversations.
The POET Project, as it was called, came in on time and under budget. I have spoken to other members (save one, a regrettable loss of contact) of the team and they agree that it was the slickest project that they have ever worked on.