Team Collaboration in Charter Development

I've watched so many hours wasted because nobody talked about the basics upfront. A few years ago, I made the mistake of assuming everyone had the same idea of what "done" meant. By the time we found out, we had done three iterations, with much frustration on all sides. That's when I saw the value of using team charters. It’s like a relationship contract for your work team. You sit down together and hash out the stuff that usually stays unspoken: What are we actually trying to accomplish here?  How do we like to communicate?  What drives us crazy?  What does good work look like to us? The beauty of that isn't in the document itself. It’s more in the conversations you have creating it.  Suddenly everyone's speaking the same language. One of the best parts?  When someone new joins, they get the playbook.  Instead of trying to decode unwritten rules for six months. And the charter isn't set in stone. We update it when things change. Since none of us are perfect at team communication, we need tools like charters to help us get aligned. When was the last time your team had an honest conversation about how you want to work together?

In a time when so many companies can feel toxic, it's our responsibility in leadership to double down on team culture.  I'm not talking about escape rooms and icebreakers. 🗝️ 🗺️ I'm talking about a team charter.  It's not just an exercise. It's a collaborative agreement on your team's purpose, roles, goals, and how you want to treat each other.  Sit down together and ask your team to answer the following questions: 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲  - What is the point of what we do? - Why does it matter that we showed up today?  - What value do we provide? 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀  - How do we know when we're winning - what metrics are we looking at? - Are our goals crystal clear? - Do we know how to achieve them? 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀  - What matters to us? - What do we want to be known for?  - How do we want to treat each other? 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘀  - What does each team member need to know? - How do we keep each other informed? - What are the expected turnaround times on emails and slack messages?   - Do certain things get communicated only in certain channels? - Are after-hours messages okay? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? - What is decided as a group and what needs to be decided by leadership? - How do we work on strategy together? Having a sense of purpose, and a say in how you want to work together makes a HUGE difference in how people show up every day. Have you ever done this with your team?

7 Steps to Creating Team Operating Guidelines That Actually Work (and Get Buy-In!) Struggling with team alignment? Without clear operating guidelines, teams often face confusion, miscommunication, and inconsistent expectations. But here’s the truth: rules don’t work if people don’t believe in them. The Problem: Many leaders try to impose guidelines top-down, only to see them ignored. Why? Because people support what they help create. If your team isn’t involved in defining the “how,” they won’t follow it. The Fix: Co-Create, Don’t Dictate Instead of presenting a list of rules, facilitate a process where the team defines what great collaboration looks like. When they shape the standards, they take ownership. Here’s How to Do It (In 7 Steps): 1️⃣ Start with the WHY – Open with a discussion: What does success look like for us? What makes or breaks a great team experience? People must see the need before they commit. 2️⃣ Identify Key Areas – Communication, decision-making, accountability—what matters most? Don’t overwhelm the team with too many rules. 3️⃣ Make It Real – Instead of abstract values like “respect,” define behaviors: What does respect LOOK like? How do we handle disagreements? Clarity drives action. 4️⃣ Turn Ideas Into Agreements – Get specific: “We respond to messages within 24 hours.” “We address conflicts directly before escalating them.” Avoid vague expectations. 5️⃣ Capture & Visualize – Document guidelines in a simple, accessible way (team charter, infographic, shared doc). No one follows a 10-page rulebook. 6️⃣ Model & Reinforce – Leaders must live by the guidelines. If they break them, the team will too. Call out good examples often. 7️⃣ Review & Adapt – Set a 90-day check-in. What’s working? What’s ignored? Make it a living document, not a one-time exercise. Example in Action: A tech startup struggled with unclear decision-making. After defining their “decision rights” framework together, they cut project delays by 40% and improved accountability—because everyone knew who owned what. Your Turn: Want a team that runs smoothly without micromanagement? Start the conversation. Let your team define what great collaboration looks like. 💬 Drop a comment: What’s one operating guideline that transformed your team? Let’s share and learn! ♻️ I hope you found this valuable, please share with your network. 📌As a seasoned finance and operations leader with years of experience, I am passionate about organizational leadership and developing future leaders. I am currently seeking my next opportunity and welcome connections to discuss how my expertise can add value to your organization.📈 Click "Follow" and 🔔 #Leadership #TeamSuccess #WorkplaceCulture #HighPerformanceTeams #TeamAlignment #EffectiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #CoachingTips #CollaborationMatters #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork

“The oncall keeps assigning random tickets to my team!”, a manager yelled, “My team is not the dedicated operational team they can dump all problems on. We have to deliver features for customers and evolve our system architecture for long term, just like other software engineering teams. This is not fair!” “Well, maybe it is time to clarify what your team’s charter is.” I answered, “define what you own, and most importantly what you do NOT own. And make sure people agree with you” A big part of a manager's job is helping their team create a solid team charter. It's kinda like a fence between neighbors - it sets the boundaries and responsibilities for the team, so everyone knows what's what. Much like a fence, a team charter has to be built on solid ground. It starts by clearly laying out the team's purpose, mission, and goals - the whole reason the team exists. This shared understanding gives the team a strong foundation to build on and guides their work. But the real value of a team charter is in setting boundaries. These rules and limits spell out what each team member is responsible for, and more importantly, what they are NOT responsible for. They create a framework for how the team communicates, works together, and resolves conflicts. Without these parameters, the team could end up drifting into uncharted territory, kinda like a property line with no fence. Now, a team charter isn't set in stone. Over time, things can change - maybe a new person joins the team, or the goals shift. When that happens, the charter needs to be revisited and the boundaries re-evaluated and reinforced. Just like a fence that starts to wobble or a foundation that settles, a team charter can get outdated and unclear. The team leaders have to stay on top of maintaining this important document, making sure the boundaries stay well-defined and respected by everyone. By having a solid team charter, organizations empower their teams to work with clarity, focus, and mutual understanding. It's like a well-built fence - a foundation for productive collaboration, minimizing conflicts and fostering trust and respect.

One practice that transformed my leadership approach was creating a Team Charter at the start of each year. This simple yet powerful tool helped align my teams on shared values, expectations, and accountability. Here’s what made it so effective: ✅ Clear Goals: Everyone contributed to defining the team’s direction and expectations. ✅ Accountability: Responsibility was shared across the team—not just by me as the leader. ✅ Collaboration: It fostered a stronger sense of teamwork and shared ownership. The results were clear: ✅ Stronger collaboration and clearer goals ✅ A shared sense of responsibility ✅ A motivated, high-performing team A Team Charter is more than just a document; it's the cornerstone for trust, clarity, and shared success. It transforms a group of individuals into a united, purpose-driven team. By fostering open communication, aligning on shared values, and empowering accountability, a Team Charter creates a strong foundation for sustainable performance and growth. Whether you're navigating change, addressing challenges, or looking to enhance collaboration, a Team Charter could be the catalyst your team needs to reach its full potential. If you'd like to create one for your team, I’ve shared the exact template I used to drive clarity, accountability, and collaboration. Access it now in my Leadership Resource Hub—link in the comments below. 👇 #Teamwork #Leadership #Accountability #Collaboration #Management #LeadershipResourceHub #RESETYourThinking #AlexandraEgan

When I was asked to work with a team in Budapest, they were a dream on paper. 5 high performers from different functional areas each with fantastic knowledge and skills. Yet month one felt like herding cats. Meetings went off the rails. Hand-offs were missed. No one knew who owned what. That’s when we stepped back and wrote our team charter: ✔️ Shared Purpose – Why we exist, beyond our individual KPIs ✔️ Working Agreements – How we’ll meet, make decisions, and give feedback ✔️ Strengths & Needs – What each member brings and what support they require ✔️ Escalation Path – How we’ll handle conflicts or roadblocks It made a huge impact to the team's ability to work cohesively, collaborate and achieve the outcomes they were tasked to deliver. In 3 months stakeholders were sharing positive feedback about the engagement. We were hitting milestones and adapting to shifting goals. When was the last time your teams connected to align on their purpose, strengths, and ways of working? If the answer is never, now might be the time to start. Tip: Revisit your charter after any new hire or pivot. Small check-ins keep it alive and your team aligned. #TeamDynamics #Collaboration #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamCharter #LeadGrowThrive #PsychologicalSafety –– 🎯 Want to chat more about this? Let’s grab a virtual coffee! https://lnkd.in/gGJjcffw