Build the team
Working agreements
Also called Team norms, Ground rules
A team agrees, in its own words, how it will communicate, meet, decide and handle problems, and writes it down.
- Time30 to 45 minutes
- People3 to 12 people
- Steps4
What it's for
Every team has rules about how it works, mostly unspoken. Writing them down turns arguments about behaviour ("you never answer in Slack") into a conversation about an agreement the team made together.
Use it when a team forms, when people join, or when the same friction keeps coming up.
How to run it
Suggest agreements10 min
Add proposals to each area, one per note, phrased as "We…".
Discuss and vote10 min5 votes each
Read them out and vote on the ones the team will commit to.
Write the agreements10 min
Move the agreed ones into the last frame, reworded if needed.
Set a review date3 min
Agree when you'll check whether they still work.
Tips
- Five to eight agreements is plenty. A long list is ignored.
- Agreements should be about behaviour people can see, such as "cameras on for decisions", not values.
Where it comes from
A long-standing practice in agile coaching and team facilitation, with no single inventor.
Pairs well with
Team charter
One page that says why a team exists, what it is aiming for, who does what, and how it will work.
RACI chart
For each task or decision, agree who is responsible, who is accountable, who is consulted and who is informed.
Start, stop, continue
A retrospective in three columns: what to start doing, what to stop, and what to keep, which leads straight to changes.