Some of these groups are so jealous of their funding - in spite of no real headway - but they'll incrementally make minor adjustments, hoping that will change their luck. And it never does.
Then you have a lot of intellectual 'contributors,' and some not so intellectual 'contributors. Everyone has personal input into the project, and while they may do something as a group, it's usually a lot of individual efforts based to a degree on their personal concepts or their personal contribution of maybe a piece of equipment.
It's approached as a process. A group process. A group assembled often out of convenience sake. And due to funding considerations, often there's way too many guys there. No way to maintain proper appearance discipline, noise discipline, light discipline, or movement discipline.
Then, there's no discipline. If I tell one of my guys, "don't turn your head," what I'm saying is that cutting your eyes and slightly angling for a view is NOT what I want done. If I say, "don't turn your head" then I expect him to continue exactly as he's currently doing. No change, no jerky movements, no sitting up straighter, no easing a weapon a bit closer - nothing.
That's because we trust each other, and he'll know I'll explain it at first reasonable opportunity - but that now is not the time.
If I say, "that duck can pull a truck," I don't want a song and a dance. Just hook 'em up.
Maybe one guy has spent $13K for a thermal camera. Too bad. I'll tell him I don't want that anywhere near us, and to leave it behind. Why? I'll explain it later to him. The wrong technology is a negative, and I don't care about hurt feelings.
So much for "contributors."
Someone has to be in charge - the team must be small, and every team member must work like fingers on a hand - no thinking to it. They know, they do their part, and we all leave our egos at home. We leave our emotions at home. We leave our frustrations at home.
You gotta be empty. Inside, you must be empty.