Participants:

2-10

11-25

25+

Prep Time:

Time to run:

1-3 hours

Team agreements template

Lead your team in aligning around norms and goals

Start from this template

Courtesy of our friends at

Use the team agreements template to cultivate team cohesion and a sense of belonging by leading your team in a workshop to articulate their agreements.

Agreements are the behavioral norms that create and maintain the team dynamic: they help team members understand what they can expect of each other, and how to hold each other accountable.

The team agreements template helps you:

Get everyone on the team engaged and aligned
Define team preferences and goals
Build agreements together with your team
Finalize and display your agreements

How to use the team agreements template

To use Mural’s team agreements template, designed by the experts at IDEO, follow the steps outlined below with your team.

1. Define team preferences

Assign everyone on your team a color sticky note and have them state their work-style preferences by placing sticky notes across different work spectrums (e.g., introvert vs. extrovert). Then, have your team surface goals for project outcomes so everyone can understand how they are showing up and what they find important.

2. Craft agreements

Synthesize individuals’ needs into short, memorable statements that the team can agree to.

Pro-tip: You can use a voting session to determine the best options democratically, and keep things moving by using the timer feature.

3. Display your team agreements

Keep your agreements visible so they stay top of mind and can help bring new team members up to speed. Setting these team agreements is the first step in leading your team through complex challenges and projects.

Tips for running a team agreements workshop

Invite everyone on your team and help them get started by assigning a color for sticky notes, and having each team member add their initials or tags to sticky notes that they create
Use private mode to brainstorm your ideas for goals while avoiding groupthink, and keep things on track with Mural’s timer feature
Keep your mural available and up to date, so that the team can always reference the agreements you’ve created together

How to create a Team agreements template

Start from blank template

View example template

Mural makes it easy to collaboratively craft team agreements

With Mural, it’s easy to get everyone involved and engaged, gather feedback from your team, and define team roles and expectations together.

Sticky notes & text

Add ideas, action items, and more as a sticky note or text box — then change the colors and cluster to identify patterns and new solutions.

Timer

Keep collaboration moving forward with a timer to structure and time-box activities.

Anonymous voting

Gain consensus and reach alignment quickly, either in real time or asynchronously.

Private mode

Avoid groupthink and get authentic feedback by allowing collaborators to add content privately.

Real-time collaboration

Add more productivity and engagement to meetings and calls with features to guide collaboration.

Drawing

Visualize ideas, prototype, and quickly annotate for a better-than-a-whiteboard experience.

Team agreements template frequently asked questions

Writing a team agreement helps establish clear expectations, guidelines, and responsibilities for team members. Here are the steps to write a team agreement:

Define the purpose: Start by clarifying the purpose of the team agreement. What are the goals and objectives you want to achieve as a team? This will guide the content and structure of the agreement.
Identify team values: Discuss and identify the core values that the team wants to uphold. These values should reflect the team's culture, collaboration, and work ethics. Examples could include respect, open communication, accountability, or innovation.
Establish team goals and objectives: Define the specific goals and objectives the team aims to achieve. These could be project-related goals, performance targets, or any other milestones that the team is working towards. Make sure these goals are measurable and aligned with the overall team or organizational objectives.
Define roles and responsibilities: Clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This includes their specific tasks, areas of expertise, and any expectations regarding their contribution to the team's success. This section helps ensure everyone understands their individual responsibilities and how they contribute to the team's overall performance.
Establish communication guidelines: Define the preferred communication channels, frequency of meetings, and expectations for responsiveness. Specify how team members should communicate with each other, whether it's through email, chat platforms, or in-person meetings. Also, establish guidelines for sharing updates, progress reports, and any other relevant information.
Set decision-making processes: Determine how decisions will be made within the team. Will it be through consensus, voting, or delegated authority? Clarify the decision-making process to avoid confusion or conflicts in the future.
Address conflict resolution: Establish a process for resolving conflicts or disagreements within the team. Encourage open communication, active listening, and a collaborative approach to resolving conflicts. This section should promote a healthy and respectful team environment.
Define expectations for attendance and punctuality: Specify expectations regarding attendance at team meetings, punctuality, and any procedures for notifying the team in case of absence or delays. This helps ensure that team members are committed and accountable to their team responsibilities.
Include a review and revision process: Acknowledge that the team agreement is a living document and should be reviewed periodically. Set a timeline for reviewing and revising the agreement to accommodate any changes in team dynamics, goals, or processes.
Share the team member agreement: Once the team agreement is drafted, share it with all team members and give them an opportunity to review and provide feedback. Encourage open discussion and make any necessary revisions based on the team's input. Once everyone is in agreement, have each team member sign the agreement to signify their commitment.

Remember, a team agreement is a collaborative document that fosters a shared understanding and commitment among team members. It should be regularly revisited and updated as needed to ensure it remains relevant and effective for the team's success.

A team working agreement, also known as a team charter or team contract, outlines the guidelines, expectations, and norms that team members agree to follow in order to work effectively together. Here are some key elements to include in a team working agreement:

Purpose and goals: Clearly state the purpose and goals of the team. This helps align everyone's efforts towards a common objective.
Roles and responsibilities: Define the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This includes specific tasks, areas of expertise, and any expectations regarding their contribution to the team's success.
Communication guidelines: Establish guidelines for communication within the team. Specify preferred communication channels, frequency of meetings, and expectations for responsiveness. Also, define how team members should share updates, progress reports, and any other relevant information.
Decision-making process: Determine how decisions will be made within the team. Clarify whether it will be through consensus, voting, or delegated authority. This helps ensure a transparent and efficient decision-making process.
Meeting guidelines: Define expectations for team meetings. This includes the frequency, duration, and purpose of meetings. Specify guidelines for agenda creation, meeting preparation, and participation to ensure productive and focused discussions.
Conflict resolution: Establish a process for resolving conflicts or disagreements within the team. Encourage open communication, active listening, and a collaborative approach to resolving conflicts. This section should promote a healthy and respectful team environment.
Workload distribution: Discuss how work will be assigned and distributed among team members. Ensure fairness and transparency in workload allocation to avoid overburdening individuals or creating imbalances.
Accountability and deadlines: Set expectations for individual and collective accountability. Define how team members will be held accountable for their commitments and meeting deadlines. This helps ensure that everyone takes responsibility for their work and contributes to the team's success.
Respect and inclusivity: Emphasize the importance of respect, inclusivity, and diversity within the team. Establish guidelines for treating each other with respect, valuing different perspectives, and creating an inclusive team culture.
Review and revision process: Acknowledge that the team working agreement is a living document and should be reviewed periodically. Set a timeline for reviewing and revising the agreement to accommodate any changes in team dynamics, goals, or processes.

Template by IDEO U

, IDEO U

IDEO U

IDEO U is an online school that equips you with creative problem-solving skills, easy-to-use tools, and leadership mindsets to stay resilient in our fast-changing modern world.

Mural is the only platform that offers both a shared workspace and training on the LUMA System™, a practical way to collaborate that anyone can learn and apply.

Learn more about LUMA Institute