Today was the last day on the job for Dave Morey, morning disc jockey at rock station KFOG-FM in San Francisco. But Morey and his crew offer an enduring lesson about keeping a team together.

Morey is wrapping up a 26-year career at the station. And some of the people who worked with him on his 6 to 10 a.m. morning show have been together 10 years or more. News guy Peter Finch, for example, has worked alongside Morey for 15 years.

Morey’s show has ranked among the Bay Area’s top 10 morning shows. And it is a factor in KFOG’s 11th overall ranking in San Francisco this year.

Morey is a force unto himself. His baritone voice, dry wit and calm demeanor were a big part of the show’s appeal. But it’s also clear the continuity of Morey’s team had a payoff. Whether they were bantering about the quality of rock songs, fielding phone calls from listeners or peppering San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom with questions, Morey’s team performed with a seamless flow.

The idea of people working together for a long period of time is under pressure these days. Not only are companies axing workers at a furious pace amid the economic downturn, but predictions about the future of work speak of transient, ad hoc teams.

For sure, employees in the same unit together for years can grow stagnant. And there may be wisdom to the notion of one-off teams to tackle projects that arise suddenly in a fast-paced business world.

But companies would be smart not to take the short-term orientation too far. Years of working alongside colleagues can build the crucial asset of trust, which in turn speeds up decision-making. It can make for a more satisfying job experience—which can boost individual effort and performance—as people build relationships.

And it can lead to the sort of flawless execution seen most vividly in the world of sports. Consider the success of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, who have won four championships in the past decade thanks largely to the chemistry of a stable group of players.

You also see the return on preserving personnel in music—in bands that flourish and change over time like U2 or the Beatles.

Rock on, Dave Morey. And may the spirit of your team live on.