In 30 seconds
- Captures purpose, scope, members, roles and ways of working.
- Written by the team, not handed down.
- Revisited when the team or its mission changes.
What to include
- Purpose: why the team exists
- Scope: what it owns and doesn't
- Members and roles
- Success measures
- Working agreements
- Stakeholders and how to work with them
A chartering session
- Agree purpose in one or two sentences.
- List what's in and out of scope.
- Define two or three success measures.
- Draft working agreements together.
- Share the charter with stakeholders.
Many teams do this in two or three hours.
Keeping it alive
Pin it where the team works and revisit it when members join or leave, or when the mission shifts. A retrospective is a natural place to check it.
Myth vs reality
Myth · A charter is bureaucracy.
Reality · A good one is a page or two and saves many arguments.
Myth · Managers should write the charter.
Reality · The team writes it, with input from leadership.
Myth · Once written, it's done.
Reality · It should change as the team changes.
FAQ
How long should a charter be?
One or two pages.
Is a charter the same as working agreements?
Working agreements are one part of a charter.
When should a new team charter?
In its first week or two.