A team charter meeting is an important process for bringing together a new team.
Experts tell us that a team charter establishes shared goals, values, and working processes at the outset, setting the team up for success.
What is a Team Charter Meeting?
A team charter meeting is a dedicated time for a new team to come together and agree on how they will work together.
It is typically a workshop session facilitated by the team leader or manager.
The purpose is to align the team on key factors like their mission, objectives, roles, processes, charts, and ground rules before launching into their work.
This ensures everyone is on the same page from day one.
Benefits of a Team Charter Meeting
There are many benefits to holding a team charter meeting:
- Clarifies the team’s purpose and goals – Ensures everyone understands the objectives and how their role contributes.
- Establishes shared values – Fosters a collaborative spirit, corporate culture, and positive team culture.
- Defines clear processes – Prevents confusion and frustration by determining how the team will operate.
- Improves teamwork – Develops connections and trust between team members early on.
- Saves time – Resolves potential issues upfront that could slow work down the line.
- Boosts commitment – Gets buy-in from each person, increasing engagement and motivation.
What to Include in a Team Charter
A team charter typically covers:
- Team mission – The shared purpose and objectives.
- Team member roles – The responsibilities of each member.
- Ground rules – Guidelines for working together effectively.
- Processes – Procedures for meetings, communication, decision-making.
- Values – Shared beliefs to unite the team.
10 Steps to Create a Team Charter
Here are 10 key steps to develop a meaningful team charter:
- Set a meeting agenda – Have a clear plan to guide the discussion.
- Introduce the purpose – Explain the charter’s intent and value.
- Brainstorm the mission – Define the team’s core objective and goals.
- Clarify member roles – Identify each person’s key responsibilities.
- Discuss values – Determine the behaviors and mindsets to uphold.
- Agree on ground rules – Set standards for interaction and conduct.
- Map out processes – Detail how meetings, communication, decisions will be handled.
- Review as a team – Provide time for group input and feedback.
- Document the charter – Capture the outcomes in a shared document.
- Revisit and refine – Set a time to review and update the charter.
Team Charter Meeting Examples
Here are some examples of team charters developed in corporate settings:
- A product development team charter that outlined their mission to launch a new app, roles like product manager and developers, and values like transparency and innovation.
- A marketing team charter that defined their goal to drive 20% increase in leads, responsibilities for social media, email, and content creation, and norms like open communication.
- A customer service team charter that set their purpose to improve client satisfaction, response time procedures, and mindsets of patience and care.
- An HR team charter that established their aim to improve employee retention, individual roles in recruitment, training, and benefits, and principles of integrity and empathy.
Team Charter Meeting Template
Here is a simple template that can be used to guide a team charter meeting and document the outcomes:
Our Team Charter
Team Name:
Mission and Objectives
What is our team’s purpose and goals?
Team Member Roles
List each member and their key responsibilities.
Values
What behaviors will we commit to uphold?
Ground Rules
What guidelines will govern how we work together?
Processes
How will we handle meetings, communication, decision-making, and accountability?
Signatures
Team Member Name / Signature
Conclusion
Holding a dedicated team charter meeting upfront allows a team to build a shared foundation for working collaboratively and effectively.
Following key steps to define the mission statement, roles, values, processes and ground rules sets the stage for productivity and success.
Revisiting the charter regularly helps keep the team aligned as they work towards their goals.
