Dealing with team operations and mission statements can be a genuine headache for project managers. It is indispensable for the project’s success that all the members are on the same page and with a high level of performance.

There is a powerful tool called team charter to measure success and help with team direction. This tool can be the answer for better managing the team members and the ground rules for the project to achieve its objectives. Companies from all over the world already use team charters to manage the group setting and solve problems in the work environment.

This article will show you how to create the perfect team charter template for your business. Be sure to follow each step correctly to guarantee the team’s success and increase performance in collaborative work.

A team charter is a tool that helps the team leader and the entire project team to accomplish their goals through a high-performing team. There are multiple template formats for team charters, each one with its own focus and impact on the team’s purpose and performance.

It is a powerful tool that can be used in all the project scope to track progress, whether in the marketing team or any other part of the organization.

Along with helping the entire team with the mission statement and performance assessment, there are tons of reasons why creating your own team charter is an indispensable practice. The document can help team members express their unique ideas and goals.

Not only that, but it helps the project team achieve the project's goals and objectives most efficiently and quickly as possible, also being the perfect tool for time management. There are tons of different benefits that a team charter can bring to the team members. Everything will depend on how you build your template and how the team works around it.

Now that you know what a team charter is and why it is essential for your team’s mission, it is time to start learning how to create your own template for the team members. Be sure to follow each step carefully and understand the needs of your business.

Such a document can have a different impact depending on how you build it. This makes it the perfect tool for various team goals.

Here are the main categories you must include when creating your team charter template:

Team Members

The first thing that you need to do is list all the team members that are going to be in the project. Whether a new team member or a more experienced one, everyone must be listed.

It is also a great idea to write down two strengths and one weakness of each team member to better understand each person. This way, it will be easier to assign tasks to each one based on their strengths.

Doing this will increase the quality of your teamwork and highlight members' skill sets. This can significantly impact the work environment and the relationship between members.

Core Values

This part of the template is dedicated to the project manager to discuss the most important values for the team and the project itself. This space is also used to understand what shared values can help the team to reach the final goal and how they can influence the relationship between members.

Many people forget this when creating a team charter, which can be a huge mistake. It is a crucial step to building strong and healthy relationships.

Group Norms

The norms field is dedicated to establishing frameworks for the team and expectations regarding these norms. It is a field dedicated to describing how you will work.

It is also a space for expressing ideas that can benefit the team and the performance at work. These frameworks can be the north star for your project, deciding how you will manage and execute tasks.

Roles and Responsibilities

When creating team charter templates, the roles and responsibilities are essential. They can impact every aspect of the project, from team purpose to time until achieving the desired result.

The first thing you need to do is think about what roles are necessary to conclude the project. Be sure to double-check every detail and step.

After doing this, you should assign these roles to your team members. It is highly recommended that you do this based on the strengths and weaknesses listed before.

Success Metrics

Next, you will consider what KPIs will be used to measure the success of your project and its results. The number of KPIs is up to the manager, but it is recommended that you create only a few of them.

These KPIs can reflect on other parts of the process, like the mission statement, for example. It is important to remember that you can go far beyond just grades and scores when deciding these metrics.

Quality Standards

The last item of your team charter templates is the quality standards stipulated for the project. These standards regard not only the product but also the members and the teamwork between them.

This category can also impact the entire process. All tasks must be completed based on these requirements.

Along with creating a team charter, you need some tips to help your document get more optimized and efficient. Here are the main things you can do to increase the efficiency of your team charter:

Build Your Team Charter Early

One of the most important details when building a team charter is to make it early in the process. Most companies use these documents when a new team is formed.

This can be a game changer in the members' relationship. Moreover, this relationship directly impacts performance results.

Share It With Every Member

One of the biggest mistakes a manager can make is sharing the document with only some members. Not everyone should edit the file, but everyone must have access to it. This helps the team to stay on the same page, directly impacting the final result.

The Team Charter Is a Living Document

Your team has to remember that the document must be updated all the time. Everybody should be on the same part of the project, and for this to happen, the document must reflect the actual stage of the project.

When it comes to the creation of team charters, there are tons of different tools available online. Among all the options, we highly recommend using Microsoft Word.

The software has one of the best tool sets available, with many features allowing users to create the perfect template for their business. Word is also an industry standard, dismissing the need to buy specialized software for each task.

If you don’t have a Microsoft Office activation key, you can buy one at RoyalCDKeys for a considerably lower price. This way, you get all the features you need to create your team charter and still save money.

If you don’t want to create your template from scratch, there is no problem. You can download and edit many templates using Microsoft Word to fit your needs better.

Be sure to choose a template with all the categories necessary for your project to reach its goals. Here are some free templates that you can use:

Template #1

Simple team charter template. Perfect for any kind of business or need.

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Template #2

Block project team charter. A visually pleasant template that can be used for any kind of project.

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Template #3

Follow-up team charter. A template that features a section dedicated to follow-up meetings with the teams to discuss progress and responsibilities.

Get this template

Template #4

Text team charter template. Template using only text along its categories.

Get this template

Team charters are undoubtedly one of the best tools for the project team to keep track of responsibilities and quality standards. Everything can impact the final results, from the objectives you choose to the support given by the teams.

Now that you know everything you need about team charters, it is time to start creating your templates. Be sure to follow each step carefully, beginning with the group members all the way to the signatures. This way, your teams will definitely feel an increase in the work quality and relationship between teams.