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3.1c Team Charters & Social Contracts
High-performing teams don't assume how they will work; they define it. The Team Charter is the "North Star" for team behavior, collaboration, and collective accountability.
📜 The Team Charter
A living document created by the team, for the team. It sets the guardrails for a high-trust culture.
Team Values
What do we stand for? (e.g., Integrity, Radical Transparency, Respect).
Ground Rules
Behavioral "laws" (e.g., "Always have cameras on," "No phones during standups").
Communication
Tools and norms: Slack for quick syncs, Email for formal updates, Jira for tasks.
Decision Making
How do we decide? (e.g., Majority vote, Consensus, or PM as tie-breaker).
🚦 Establishing Ground Rules
Ground rules are only effective if they follow these three principles:
- Collaborative: The team must write them to "own" them.
- Visible: Displayed prominently in the physical or digital project space.
- Self-Policing: High-performing teams call out rule violations themselves, without needing the PM to play "police officer."
🛠️ 2026 Focus: Adaptive Agreements
In an Agile or Hybrid context, the Team Charter is not static. It is reviewed during every Retrospective. If a rule (e.g., "Meetings at 9:00 AM") is causing friction (e.g., child-care commutes), the team changes it immediately to optimize flow.
📝 Exam Insight: If a team is having constant minor behavioral issues (e.g., people interrupting each other), the correct action is to refer the team to the Ground Rules or facilitate a session to update the Team Charter.