How A Team Charter Can Help Improve Performance
Author: James Conlon
When working with new teams, a Charter is one of my go-to tools as it is an effective way to drive behavioural change and improve performance. According to Bruce Tuckman’s model, there are four stages of team development. These are described below:
Research suggests that 20-25% of teams reach the ‘Performing’ stage, which means most never reach their true potential. Creating a charter can quickly help identify the reasons for underperforming and remove the barriers.
What Is A Team Charter?
It is a contract that documents the team’s purpose and how they wish to work together. It ensures everyone is aligned and moving in the same direction.
What Are The Benefits?
They provide several benefits that contribute to creating a high-performing team:
Clarity and Alignment: Within teams there are often competing agendas which generate conflict. Collectively agreeing on the purpose and goals ensures everyone is aligned and focused on the same objectives.
Accountability: Misunderstanding or disagreement of roles can lead to resentment and conflict. Establishing clear expectations fosters accountability and builds trust.
Improved Communication: Miscommunication is a common source of friction. Deciding how to engage upfront reduces misunderstanding and facilitates greater collaboration.
Conflict Resolution: Agreeing how differences will be resolved and the escalation routes before conflict arises helps teams navigate inevitable disagreements and maintain a positive working environment.
Enhanced Commitment: Involving the team in the charter’s creation promotes ownership and engagement, leading to higher motivation and commitment to the team’s goals.
Efficient Decision-Making: Agreeing how decisions are made and how differing opinions are managed helps teams make quick choices that all buy into.
Develop a Positive Team Culture: A charter clarifies team values that help guide behaviours. This can promote a positive culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and high standards.
What Makes A Good Team Charter
The components of a charter depend on the team and their objectives. Typically it consists of:
Mission Statement: This describes the team’s purpose and provides the ‘North Star’ that guides their journey. It should align with the wider organisational goals.
Roles and Responsibilities: Without understanding everyone’s role how can team members support each other and collaborate?
Ground Rules: Establishing rules prevents issues. This can include how the team will communicate, make decisions, hold meetings and resolve conflict.
Escalation routes: Teams will not always reach a consensus. Knowing who the external decision-makers are saves time and needless conflict.
Key Stakeholders: Identifying stakeholders and determining how and when to communicate with them ensures transparency.
Metrics: Defining what success is and how it will be measured keeps the team focused on results.
How To Create An Effective Team Charter
Involve the Team: It’s how they wish to work together. It is likely to be rejected if imposed by management.
External Facilitation: Can ensure difficult topics are tackled, whilst maintaining group safety and ensuring everyone has an equal say.
Get to Know Each Other: How can we agree on the best way to work together if we don’t know what makes each other tick? I run team-building activities before tackling the purpose and desired behaviours. This includes exercises on personal values and motivation, along with personality assessments.
Define the Team’s Purpose: What is the here to do and how will they know they’ve succeeded? Resolve any disagreement and review with stakeholders.
Establish Ground Rules: How to get the best from each other. What are the preferred and unacceptable behaviours? How will the team call each other out?
Review and Update Regularly: Teams evolve and learn over time. Agree on how and when to review and update the charter.
Publish: Ensure the Charter is Visible. I encourage the team to post it on a wall in a communal space, so it can’t easily be forgotten.