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Team Charter: Written Rules of Engagement

Write with your team the basic rules of engagement (how we decide, how we disagree, when we're reachable) before the first real conflict.

90 min Intermediate

Goal

Preempt implicit disagreements over "how we work together" with a co-written charter, instead of discovering hidden rules through actual clashes.

Steps

1

Gather the whole team (don't delegate writing to one person distributing it later).

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Expected Outcome

Immediate

At least one explicit disagreement surfaces over "how we actually decide" that was previously latent and unspoken.

Evidence base

School: Team Development / Psychological Safety

Founders: Amy Edmondson · Google Project Aristotle (1999)

Amy Edmondson (1999) established psychological safety as foundational to team effectiveness; Google's "Project Aristotle" (2015) confirmed clarity of rules and roles as a decisive team-performance factor.

Frequently asked questions

How long does "Team Charter: Written Rules of Engagement" take?

This exercise takes about 90 minutes, practiced in a group in a Behavioral format.

When will I notice the effect of "Team Charter: Written Rules of Engagement"?

At least one explicit disagreement surfaces over "how we actually decide" that was previously latent and unspoken. In the short term: The first real conflict after the charter is resolved by referencing a written clause, not an emotional debate from scratch.

Is "Team Charter: Written Rules of Engagement" evidence-based?

Yes — it draws on Team Development / Psychological Safety (Amy Edmondson, Google Project Aristotle (1999)). Amy Edmondson (1999) established psychological safety as foundational to team effectiveness; Google's "Project Aristotle" (2015) confirmed clarity of rules and roles as a decisive team-performance factor.

Is "Team Charter: Written Rules of Engagement" suitable for beginners?

Its difficulty level is: Intermediate. No external tools required — it can be practiced directly inside the app.

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