Building People with a Team Charter

Every day we are bombarded with so much information, so many decisions, and so much uncertainty. This year in Canada, 1 in 4 people will experience some form of mental health experience. For any type of organization and its people, the pressure can be almost unbearable. Finding the right paths and navigating through all the challenges has never been more difficult.

I will not pretend that this post has all the answers. But in this post and in my other posts, you will find places to start. These posts all share three common themes, one is that you or your organization can start today, all they require is a change of thinking or a change of process and finally, the cost is virtually zero.  Today’s starting point is about team charters.

What is a team charter? It is a building block. It is an interactive and inclusive tool to give people in your organization the freedom, the space, and the ability to get things done.

Virtually every organization has meetings and groups that work together; however, in my experience, many teams do not function as well as they might. In a world of increasing complexity, choices, and challenges; having a high-performing group or team of people to execute the goals and objectives of any organization has never been more necessary.

High-performing teams do not just magically happen. Yes, an organization should have the best people possible; however, having a team charter can help and grow every one.  Good teams can become great and average teams become better.  Enabling a team charter will help grow every member of an organization who participates. Having more effective teams helps the organization navigate the challenges that we all face daily.

To begin, a team charter can be as simple or as complicated, as necessary. In its simplest form, it is just a set of agreements created by the organization AND the members of the group. The best high-performing groups are interactive and inclusive. High-performing teams are built on trust, and autonomy, and will not function in a micro-managed environment.

Setting the “ground rules” should be the first step. Ground rules are just a simple code of conduct for how the group or team will operate. Consider these points.

Each member of the team is equally important and should always be treated with respect. Team members will have different experiences and responsibilities; however, the team will only accomplish its goals if everyone participates.

Each member of the team is expected to be prepared. If there is background work required, each team member is expected and has permission to hold each other accountable if they are not prepared for any team meetings.

All team members should attend meetings in person. If not possible then virtually; however, cameras should always be turned on when participating online.

All meetings start on time and finish on time. The agenda should be structured and prioritized to allow discussion. Any items not covered should be reprioritized for the next meeting. High-performing teams ask questions, and agendas should not be overloaded.

Each member of the team is encouraged to “speak their mind.”  In an atmosphere of respect, high-performing teams operate in a “safe” space. Team members cannot hold back because they are afraid of repercussions.

Each team member is expected to focus. During team meetings or work periods, each person concentrates on the team task. Cell phones and laptops should be turned off unless required for something the team is working on.

Each meeting or work period begins with a recap. A brief review of the tasks and/or assignments from the previous meeting then ends with an agreement on action steps moving forward and messaging for the rest of the organization.

Advance notice of meetings or work agendas is a requirement. Team members should expect a minimum of 36 hours’ notice in advance and meeting summaries should be sent out within 72 hours of the meeting where possible.

Ground rules should be brainstormed and agreed upon by the team. They should be documented. When new people join the team, everyone should review, agree, and update them.

When the “ground rules” are established, the next step is discussing, “What is the purpose of the group.” High-performing teams exist to accomplish goals and objectives for the organization. Clearly defining those goals or requirements will help everyone on the team or group to understand the parameters, and constraints, and help the team to stay focused. Depending on the life cycle of the team; goals, and objectives may change or be replaced.

The next step is to agree on decision-making protocols. Decision-making protocols could be as simple as using a “roman” style thumbs up or thumbs down or majority rules. For more complex decisions, use a multi-point methodology, where team members rank options. There are a variety of ways to do this, a good example is using a “T-shirt” sizing point model.  For this ranking option, team members assign priority by relating options to t-shirt sizing, small to large depending on the complexity, time, and effort required.   The points are added, and priority is given to the option with the most points.

With decisions, high-performing teams anticipate they will have disagreements on process and direction, particularly in an Agile-type environment. Team charters should include one or more conflict resolution techniques so the team members can resolve their own issues.  In situations when the team cannot agree, then the team leader may be the arbiter. Having an agreed-upon method of resolving situations helps to eliminate deadlocks and bottlenecks.

Part of the team charter should always involve recording a summary of the top skills of each member. High-performing groups are self-organizing and knowing the skills and experiences helps the group to decide and agree on the roles and responsibilities. The team can also decide what skills may be missing and develop an action plan to either request more training or add someone with the missing skills.

High-performing teams have an expectation of accountability. Each member agrees to allow themselves to be open to comments or criticism if an agreed-upon task or responsibility is not to the standard expected by the team. All team members should want to deliver on their assigned goals and responsibilities.  The team should agree to the performance metrics that measure their performance, such as the SMART technique of “specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound.”

Agree on how to communicate. High-performing team charters include a communication strategy. Whether for internal/external communication, the team charter should include an agreement on how they will communicate. For example, group meetings might be face-to-face or virtual, followed by email, messenger, etc. Decide what works best and document it in the charter.

Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers. Adjusting to using a team charter requires a leader or manager to facilitate more than manage. High-performing teams change but do not diminish a leader’s role. A high-performing team leader shields and allows their team to “do the work.” They coach, facilitate, and delegate while removing barriers that delay or stop the team’s work. An impediment or obstacle prevents a team from being able to work effectively, examples could range from not having sufficient workspace to not having the tools or time to do their work. A blocker stops a team’s work from happening and could include such things as a stop work order from a government or regulatory body. Team leaders are more important than ever.

The first time a group or team builds its charter, it might take longer than a few hours. It is, however, the first key component of having a high-performing team. The team charter should be documented and signed off by each member. This process repeats every time someone new joins the team. Clarity, conciseness and a clear understanding of what is planned and what is to be executed will empower the team to fulfill its role in moving the organization ahead.

Good luck,

Paul.