Chartering a Team
The process of chartering a team is about creating conditions for collaboration. When done thoughtfully, chartering builds the foundation for teams to address complex challenges while modeling the collaborative relationships we hope to see in our broader communities.
Begin with Purpose
Effective team chartering begins by creating space for team members to connect with why their work matters and how it aligns with their personal values and aspirations for change. This focus on purpose serves multiple functions. It helps team members see their work as meaningful rather than merely tactical. It also creates early opportunities for authentic connection as people share what they care about and why they've chosen to engage in this work. Finally, it establishes that the team's success will be measured not just by what they produce, but by how they work together and grow in the process.
Power and Participation
One of the most critical elements of team chartering is explicitly addressing power dynamics. Every team operates within broader organizational and societal contexts shaped by historical patterns of power and participation based on race, gender, class, age, and role. Without intentional attention to these dynamics, teams often recreate dominant patterns that limit authentic participation.
Effective chartering processes make power visible and create structures for sharing power. This can include:
Rotating leadership roles to distribute authority
Creating multiple channels for participation to honor different communication styles
Establishing clear and agreed-upon decision-making processes in advance (like consensus or a RACI matrix)
Building in regular reflection on team dynamics, process observations, and patterns of participation.
These structures help teams move from theoretical commitments to practical implementation in their work together.
From Norms to Agreements
Many teams start with establishing norms – expected behaviors that guide how people will work together. While this is important, truly effective team chartering goes further by developing community agreements. Unlike norms, which are often imposed from above, or rules, which rely on external authority, community agreements emerge from collective dialogue about what each person needs to bring their full self to the work.
This process involves both relational agreements (how we want to be together) and operational agreements (how we will structure our work). Effective agreements:
Arise from genuine consensus rather than majority rule
Address both emotional and practical needs
Get specific about how they will be upheld
Include processes for revision as the team learns and grows
Structures for Learning and Adaptation
The most effective team charters build in regular opportunities to notice and reflect. This includes:
Process checks during meetings to assess how well the team is living its agreements
Dedicated time for learning about team dynamics and impact
Clear processes for raising and addressing concerns
From Forming to Performing
These structures acknowledge that team development happens in stages and is ongoing. They also help teams stay focused on both their task goals and their aspirations for how they want to work together. While thorough team chartering requires time upfront, it creates the conditions for more efficient and effective work over time. Teams with strong charters:
Make better decisions by including diverse perspectives
Handle conflict more constructively
Maintain focus on their core purpose
Adapt more readily to changing circumstances
Model the productive, collaborative relationships they hope to create in the world
The charter serves as both a practical guide and a living artifact of the team's commitments to each other and their work. It should be regularly referenced, discussed, and revised as the team learns what it truly takes to work together in service of their shared purpose.