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TOOL TEAM CHARTER

Now that you’ve put all of these unusual suspects and diverse characters together in one room, how will you agree on your goals, expectations, and values? And how will you deal with challenging situations? Design a team charter together!

SIGN THE CHARTER

You don’t always get to decide with whom you work with. Even if you do, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be successful. Conflicts of interest and differing values or goals often get in the way of a team’s progress.

A team charter will help you create a blueprint for the engine behind a project: a well-balanced team. As a co-created document, the team charter will help clarify the team’s direction while establishing boundaries.

The team charter serves two purposes. Firstly, using the charter as an inward-facing document, team members can point out why the team was established in the first place, what the main focus is, and what direction the team will take to achieve its stated goals. Secondly, as an outward-facing document, the charter can help to educate managers and other organizational leaders about the focus and direction of the team.

TEAM VALUES

Together, you’ll need to decide on the values your team upholds as part of its collaboration. These values will help form the foundation for a successful team, which will make it easier to reach the goal while reducing confusion about the team’s objectives. What’s more, the charter will provide clear guidelines about how team members will work together and what each person will contribute, which will help ensure the team moves forward and not backward.

Some of the things you’ll want to include in your team charter are the following: team members; team goals, expectations, and the purpose for existing in the first place; team values; how the team handles trouble and obstacles; who the team leaders are. Don’t be afraid to add things like “have fun!” and energy sources, like “team dinner once per week.” These will go a long way in helping the team gel.

Whatever form your team charter takes, just make sure you’re all on the same page. In the end you want to have a team of people who build off each other, not a group of people just doing a job.

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DOWNLOAD Download the team charter template from www.designabetterbusiness.com

CHECKLIST

 You defined the team goal.

 You defined the driver, team members, and values.

 You defined obstacles and energy sources.

 You had everyone sign the charter.

NEXT STEP

 Go get started with Point of View!