I have been teaching quite a few high-performance teams workshops in the last several months and have been surprised to discover that not one group I worked with had ever created a “team charter.” By this I mean, a written list of rules and expectations that the team all agrees to and guides the way they work together. I believe this is an essential document to help people clearly understand their role on the team, what behavior is appropriate and what things will not be tolerated. Without a charter, members of the group are simply guessing at how they are supposed to act and behave together as a team, leading to assumptions, politics, rumormongering, conflict, lack of accountability and ultimately lack of results. To help your organization avoid these issues here are a few ideas of what a team charter might look like:

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review recommended that a team charter should include these basic foundational tenets:

• I agree to be on time, realizing everyone’s time is limited and extremely valuable.
• I agree to show respect to every other member of the team and give them the benefit of the doubt.
• I agree to give my best effort in accomplishing every task, the team’s mission, and our shared purpose.
• I agree not to engage in any gossip about my team members and to put a stop to it if I encounter it.
• I agree to communicate early and often pertaining to any time off needed for my personal life.
• I agree to handle disputes, perceived offenses, or conflicts with dignity and professionalism.

This is the charter from a nonprofit organization I worked with:

• Be accountable
• Think before you speak
• Ask for clarification
• Set clear expectations
• Treat people with dignity and respect
• Empathy
• Ask for help
• Be direct and loving
• Look for the positive first
• Create safety zones where people can be honest in their feedback without fear of retribution
• Be present
• Check up on folks
• Helpful and supportive
• Communicate professionally
• Spend time together
• Have fun

This list is from a manufacturing company that I assisted:

• Listen to each other with an open mind without interruption
• Share knowledge, information, and experience with those who can benefit
• Take key decisions based on reasoning, not rank
• Express concerns only to those responsible for dealing with them
• A responsibility culture, not a blame culture
• Base our work on the ‘customer’
• Strive for continuous improvement
• Behave with integrity
• Positively challenging dishonesty or destructive behavior
• No ego

These are just a few ideas to help you in creating your team charter, however, it is essential that you develop a written, clear, and well-communicated charter that everyone on the team is fully committed to and agrees to support at all times. Without this document, it is impossible to build and sustain a high-performance team.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments and if you found value in this article I hope you will share it with your entire network.

Thanks so much – John