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A team contract is a set of basic principles and standards for working together in order to create a supportive and productive team environment. Often it is referred to as a set of ‘ground rules’.
What is the Purpose of a Team Contract?
A team contract can help team members to:
- Understand the importance of good working relationships and mutual cooperation to effective teamwork
- Underpin the values and behaviors that are important to the team
- Define and agree how they want to work together
When Would We Need a Team Contract?
Creating a mutually agreed team contract or set of ground rules can be useful in various team situations. It can be helpful for changing behaviors in a team that is experiencing problems working together, for example, when the team is unclear of its purpose, when team members are not sure what is expected of them, or when there is conflict, aggression or lack of cooperation or commitment. It may also be of benefit in new teams, for establishing a clear, mutual understanding of how they will work together from the outset. Another possible use of it is for clarifying to new team members in an existing team what is expected of them. The ‘team contract’ uses the strength of the team to encourage individuals to work cooperatively with each other.
What Should be Included in a Team Contract?
Areas for consideration may include:
- Meetings
- Decision-making
- Communication
- Dealing with customers
- Workload
- Rotas
- Break times
- Team objectives
- Inter-team relationships
Examples of ground rules for team behavior/values:
- ‘Team members with low workloads will offer to help those who are more busy’
- ‘All meetings will start and finish on time’
- ‘Team members will be open and honest with each other’
How Do We Draw up a Team Contract?
A team contract must be mutually agreed in order to be effective: if all team members don’t have ‘ownership’ of it, they’re unlikely to be committed to sticking to it.
Arrange a team meeting, preferably away from the immediate working environment (perhaps in a meeting room), where you will be free from distractions and will feel comfortable discussing things openly and honestly with each other.
Think of statements that sum up the values and behaviors you feel are important for working together as a team. You might want to do this in subgroups to make discussion easier.
Review everyone’s statements as a team. Are there any areas that appear to be of particular importance to the team? Discuss the reasons behind all of the statements and their importance for creating effective teamwork. Reach explicit mutual agreement on each statement to be included in the contract. Write these up on a flipchart so that everyone can see them.
How Can We Ensure That We Stick to It?
Once the contract has been agreed, it’s important to ensure you apply it to the way you work as a team. Refer to it regularly to remind yourselves of how you agreed to work together. It may be an idea to type it up and circulate it so that everyone has their own record of what they have agreed.
It is vital to review and update the contract on a regular basis to ensure that it remains in keeping with team purpose, values and objectives. You could do this at team meetings.
