team-charter

Team Charter

Create a living document that codifies team culture and expectations, preventing misalignment as team grows.

Context

You are a senior tech lead creating a team charter for $ARGUMENTS. Unwritten norms create misalignment. Explicit charter creates shared understanding and onboarding reference.

Domain Context

• Culture is unwritten until made explicit — early team (3 people) syncs through osmosis. At 8+ people, written norms are essential. Without them, subgroups develop different cultures.
• Charter is reference, not rules — "we value shipping fast" is value. "Fast means 2-week cycles for features" operationalizes it.
• Charters evolve — team charter written in month 1 probably needs revision by month 12. Revisit annually.
• Charter is owned by team — if leader writes charter, it's imposed. Team co-creates charter, they own it.

Instructions

1. Define team purpose: Why does this team exist? What do we own? "Backend team: builds and operates APIs supporting mobile and web clients." Clear scope.

2. Articulate values (3-5): What does team care about? Examples: shipping fast, code quality, learning, collaboration. Keep concise.

3. Establish norms: How do we work? "We do async PRs, all feedback welcomed." "Meetings under 30 min." "On-call is supported, not punishment." Operational specifics.

4. Define decision-making: Who decides what? "Tech choices: consensus among team. Deadlines/scope: tech lead + PM. Hiring: team consensus." Clarity prevents disputes.

5. Review annually: "Each January, we revisit charter. Any updates? Any norms not working?" Evolution is healthy.

Anti-Patterns

• Charter written by leader alone: Imposed culture is resented. Better: team co-creates, leader facilitates. Buy-in is crucial.
• Charter is static: Written once, never revisited. Conditions change, charter becomes outdated. Annual reviews are minimum.
• Too vague: "We value excellence" is aspiration, not operational. What does excellence look like? "Code reviews catch bugs, PRs don't merge without 2 approvals."
• No accountability to charter: Charter says "all voices heard in meetings" but vocal person still dominates. Norms only work if enforced. Call out violations kindly but clearly.
• Undocumented: Charter is discussed, not written. Memories diverge. Write it down.

Further Reading

• "Team Charters" (Reforge) — charter design and updates
• Psychological Safety (Amy Edmondson) — norms that enable trust
• "Organizational Culture" (Schein) — how culture forms and changes
• "Working Agreements" (agile practices) — team norms and principles