Team Charter
A document defining a team's purpose, goals, roles, and operating principles.
Also known as: Team constitution, Team mission statement, Team operating agreement
Category: Tools
Tags: collaboration, teams, planning, alignment, documentation
Explanation
A team charter is a foundational document that articulates a team's mission, objectives, membership, roles, and operating guidelines. It typically includes: purpose/mission (why the team exists), goals (what it will accomplish), scope (boundaries of responsibility), roles and responsibilities, decision-making authority, communication practices, and success measures. Charters serve multiple functions: aligning members on purpose, clarifying expectations, providing onboarding reference, and creating accountability. The charter development process is as important as the document - it forces conversations about assumptions and priorities. Charters should be: co-created by the team, specific enough to guide behavior, regularly reviewed, and updated as circumstances change. For knowledge workers, team charters help: reduce misalignment, speed up team formation, and provide reference when confusion arises about purpose or process.
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