Build the team
Team charter
One page that says why a team exists, what it is aiming for, who does what, and how it will work.
- Time45 to 90 minutes
- People3 to 10 people
- Steps4
What it's for
A charter gives a new or changed team a shared starting point. The value is in writing it together: disagreements about purpose or scope come out in the room, not three months later.
Keep it to one page and put it somewhere the team will see it.
How to run it
Agree the purpose10 min
Why does this team exist? Who does it serve?
Set goals10 min
What will be true in six months if the team succeeds?
Map roles and stakeholders15 min
Who's on the team, who it depends on, and who depends on it.
Add ways of working and risks15 min
Key agreements, and what could get in the way.
Tips
- Write the purpose last if it's contested. The rest of the charter often settles it.
- Revisit it when the team's goals change.
Where it comes from
Team charters come from project management and organisational development, and have no single inventor.
Pairs well with
Working agreements
A team agrees, in its own words, how it will communicate, meet, decide and handle problems, and writes it down.
Objectives and key results
Set an ambitious objective and three or so measurable key results that would show you achieved it.
Stakeholder map
Place everyone affected by a project by how much power they have over it and how much they care, then plan how to work with each.