Key Elements You Need in a Team Charter Building

Key Elements You Need in a Team Charter Building
Team Charter
Team Charter

Many teams are not aligned about things like their team goal(s), roles and responsibilities and/or how the team makes decisions. Often these elements are just assumed which leads to misunderstandings and frustration.

All teams need a Team Charter.

Your charter describes why the team was formed, what the team is responsible for and how it will work together.

Whether your team is new or you have been working together for years, there is tremendous value in creating (or revamping) your charter and writing it down so it is clear for everyone.  These keep the team focused, aligned, and happy - all critical to high-performing teams.

Taking the time to develop a charter will create clarity and save lots of frustration later. Now, it doesn't have to be a 100 page volume that no one looks at. In fact, the more to-the-point it is the better.

Below are common things to include in your Team Charter:

  1. Team Purpose: A statement describing the overarching reason that the team was created.
  2. Goals/Objectives: High-level measurable goals the team is formed to meet.
  3. Team Members and their Roles: Who serves on the team and what role each person plays on the team.
  4. Sponsor(s)/Stakeholder(s): The person(s) to whom this team is accountable.
  5. Activities/Responsibilities In and/or Out of Scope: Clear description of what this team should be focused on and anything that is out of bounds.
  6. Decision Making Guidelines: How the team will make decisions. (i.e., consensus, super-majority, or the leader decides)
  7. Ground Rules/Team Norms: The guidelines describing the behavioral expectations of the team.

Other items you might include in your Team Charter:

  1. Duration: The length of time the team will exist, which may be an actual date or may be about satisfying the purpose.
  2. Conflict Resolution Process: The process by which conflicts and disputes be resolved.
  3. Workload distribution: Process by which work will be assigned and allocated among the team.
  4. Communications Process: The means and the frequency in which the team will communicate.

Typically, the why and what questions are pre-determined by the Sponsor. This includes the purpose, goals, boundaries and the Team Members. Then, the team works together to determine how they will work together to accomplish the purpose and goals. At the first team meeting, the team will determine their team norms, how often and in what ways they prefer to communicate, etc.

A good Team Charter will usually fit onto 1-2 pages. It provides a short, yet descriptive overview that aligns, guides and creates clarity for the team.

Read other articles on how to build a better team >>

About the Author: Leigh Ann Rodgers, Founder of Better Teams and Forward, is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator with 20 years of experience in the human development field. Leigh Ann is a skilled meeting facilitator, trainer, and coach working across the globe to help leaders cultivate teams that are happy and high-performing.Learn. Share. Practice. Move FORWARD.  Join the Better Teams community, FORWARD, to network and grow with some of the most experienced professionals in the field of team building and facilitation.  LEARN MORE

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