Team Charters

Because teams are a significant part of most organizations today, it is common for educators to use team assignments to help students learn about course concepts and team processes. Unfortunately, students frequently experience a number of problems during those team assignments.

Studies have shown that most students working on team projects rush into the task without first examining member strengths, sharing personal expectations, setting common goals, ascertaining levels of commitment, agreeing on processes for communicating and decision making, and deciding how to measure and control contributions from members. When teams start working without proper direction, problems often result, including vague expectations, conflicting team and individual goals, free-riding, inadequate communication, poor performance, dissatisfaction, and even having members be fired from the team.

Too often teams spend a considerable amount of their valuable time and resources trying to figure out what it is they are supposed to do, when they are supposed to do it, and who exactly is supposed to do what. Before starting any type of a process, it is important to know where you are headed in that process. One important development tool that can help promote effective teamwork and help lead the team in the right direction is a team charter. Creating a team charter is kind of like creating a roadmap for the team and the project.

A team charter is a document that is developed in a group setting that clarifies team direction while establishing boundaries. It is developed early during the forming of the team. The team charter is designed to help team members

• clarify and create commitments to team purpose and goals;

• establish guidelines and norms to govern team and individual behavior;

• provide performance standards against which individual contributions and team outcomes can be measured;

• provide feedback and self-correction measures;

• maximize individual learning;

• and...