Team norms. Every team has them whether they are documented or not. When you are part of a team there is a rhythm that the members know and outsiders quickly pick up on. For example, do meetings start on time or do people typically arrive late?
Team norms are guidelines that are created together and evolve over time as a group works more closely with one another. They provide a baseline for how you work as a team and help ensure that everyone is rowing in the same direction. Team norms provide a framework to articulate expectations for how to tackle work together.
Below are some suggestions for topics to include in a team norms document:
- Meeting Management: What tool will be used to schedule meetings? Who is responsible for what (i.e. reserving a room, taking notes, etc.)? What are the expectations in the meeting (i.e. is it okay to have laptops, should cell phones be silenced, etc.)
- Communications: How will keys dates (i.e. go lives, time off, etc.) be communicated to the team? Is there a designated place that the team should use to share documents?
- Managing Difficult Topics: How will the team move forward if/when a project risk is discovered? What if there is an issue with resources? Or scope?
- Managing Decisions: How will decisions be documented and/or communicated? Who will be responsible in communicating the decision?
Please comment below and share topics that are included in your team norms or ask questions about documenting norms.