Mastering team charters: Empowering your teams for success

Marty Cagan frequently emphasizes the pivotal role of empowered product teams in building successful products. However, empowering teams can be a formidable challenge, particularly given the continuous changes that teams typically experience. This article will propose the benefits of an effective team charter and provide tips on how to successfully implement one.

Let’s turn to Bruce Tuckman‘s stages of group development, which illuminates the four fundamental stages that teams generally navigate: forming, storming, norming, and performing.

In the forming stage, team members acquaint themselves with each other and the team’s objectives. The storming stage can involve disagreements and conflicts. In the norming stage, conflicts are resolved, and a shared understanding of the team’s goals emerges. Finally, in the performing stage, the team collaborates effectively to achieve its goals.

David Burkus, in his enlightening book “Best Team Ever“, argues that a winning team should embody three critical elements: common understanding, psychological safety, and prosocial purpose. These findings align seamlessly with Google’s Aristotle project, which, among other factors, underscored the paramount importance of structure and clarity. Team members must have a clear grasp of their roles, responsibilities, and the team’s objectives.

Burkus also emphasizes that every team operates based on implicit norms, which can lead to confusion and conflicting expectations. This is where team charters, sometimes referred to as working agreements, social contracts, or team guidelines, come into play.

Benefits of team charters and guidelines

Team charters are invaluable tools for reducing confusion and enhancing team performance. They function as a roadmap, outlining a team’s goals, objectives, values, and operational procedures, ensuring alignment and a shared purpose among team members. Moreover, team charters can reduce conflict and improve communication since team members have a clear understanding of goals and expectations.

Recently, I had some experiences with difficult product teams during leadership changes, and I found developing a team charter very useful to lead the team toward success. Developing team charters offers benefits such as:

• Alignment: A team charter ensures that everyone on the team is aligned with the team’s goals, objectives, and values, which is especially crucial for complex or challenging projects.
• Clarity: Team charters clarify roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes, and communication channels, reducing confusion and conflict.
• Accountability: Team charters hold team members accountable, ultimately improving overall performance.
• Continuous Improvement: Team charters can serve as a starting point for ongoing process and performance improvement.

But it’s important to note that having a team charter doesn’t automatically translate to success and clarity. You can’t write a charter as a memo and send it to team members. It’s the process of developing the charter that makes the difference. To create an effective team charter, you should consider these tips:

• Involve the entire team in its creation to ensure commitment and shared direction.
• Be specific: Define goals, objectives, roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes, and communication methods.
• Set realistic and achievable goals to avoid setting the team up for failure.
• Keep the charter flexible and regularly review and update it to adapt to changes in goals, objectives, or the team’s environment.

Key elements of a team charter

A team charter typically includes the following elements:

• Team mission and purpose
• Team objectives
• Team roles and responsibilities
• Team decision-making
• Team communication
• Team values
• Team ground rules

It may also include information like the team’s timeline, available resources, potential risks and challenges, and success metrics. Remember that a team charter is a living document, subject to regular review and updates to stay relevant and effective. You should consider revising your team charter when:

• The team’s goals or objectives change.
• The team’s composition changes due to new members or departures.
• The team’s processes or procedures change.
• The team’s environment undergoes significant changes, such as market competition or regulatory shifts.

Additionally, it’s a good practice to periodically review your team charter, perhaps annually or semi-annually, to ensure alignment with the team’s current goals and objectives.

Conclusion

In the dynamic world of team empowerment and crafting effective team charters, remember that success is an ongoing journey, not just a destination. Teams constantly evolve, and success isn’t automatic with a team charter; it’s the commitment to the process that truly matters.

As teams progress through different stages and adapt to changing goals and environments, treat your team charter as a living document, evolving with the team’s needs. Embrace the flexibility, the process, and the commitment to your team’s success.

With these principles in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to empower your teams and ensure that your team charter remains a guiding light on the path to excellence.