Importance of a Team Charter

Similar to developing a solid foundation when building a home, the team charter is the foundation for building a strong team. The team charter acts as a contract between the members of a team communicating contact information and establishing the ground rules and guidelines for the team. â€Å"Chartering is the process by which the team is formed, its mission or task described, its resources allocated, its goals set, its membership committed, and its plans made† (University of Phoenix, 2011, para. ). The implementation of a team charter will improve the performance of the group because it clearly defines the expectations of the team, permits agreement regarding communication and participation as well as provides the basis for conflict management. The implementation of a team charter will improve the performance of the group because it will help to eliminate conflicts before they arise. By identifying the likely kinds of issues that might bring team members into conflict and agreeing beforehand how to deal constructively with those conflicts, team members will help to ensure the optimum functioning of the team† (University of Phoenix, 2002, para. 8). An area of conflict that tends to arise often is a team member feeling as if he or she is doing all of the work. It is best to try to avoid this by the agreement that has been reached collectively in the team charter. Each individual has contributed to the formulation of the charter and in doing so, has agreed to abide by its guidelines. This should bring about a sense of duty and responsibility to each member to contribute equally to the team. The charter will allow the team to come to an agreement regarding communication, participation, and the consequences for non-participation. This will provide the basis for establishing trust within the members of the group. Each individual in the group has his or her own level of trust that he or she is capable of giving. This will influence how much they are willing to share and give of themselves. It is important that the members respect the privacy and boundaries of the other members, especially if they are less trusting. The same is true of listening skills. One must accept that some individuals are more outspoken than others and may not be as advanced in their listening skills. Others have honed these skills well and will pick up on the smallest nuances. The most important reason the implementation of a team charter will improve the performance of the group is that it clearly defines the expectations of the team so that each member is clear of his or her responsibilities. It is imperative that each member is aware of the objectives of the team and what he or she is trying to accomplish. Each member must know what his or her individual contributions to that goal is and understand that it is the expectation of the team that he or she will complete his or her portion in a timely manner. Although some may say that developing a charter is an unnecessary step that requires too much time, the benefits of forming a charter are well worth the time invested. A charter is the foundation by which the team will collaborate to accomplish their goals. In conclusion, although some believe that the charter is not a useful tool and is not worth the time investment, the implementation of a team charter will improve the performance of the group for two main reasons. First, it will allow the team to come to an agreement regarding communication, participation, and consequences for non-participation. Second, and more important, the team charter clearly defines the expectations of the team so that each member is clear of his or her responsibilities. Just as a person would never think of driving cross country without first checking the oil in his or her car, one should never initiate a group without first developing a team charter. The most successful and productive teams always start with the foundation of a well developed team charter.