Based on a process from Atlassian, outlined here.

This is specifically for and about the team itself, not about the project. This agreement makes explicit how the members of the team agree to work together.

The goals of this process are to promote team cohesion, set good communication standards, and to build trust. A team that trusts each other can be extremely productive and ship software efficiently.

1. Create a new shared document or workspace using a collaboration tool like Google Docs, Miro, Trello, or anything that lets everyone on the team read, create, and edit.

2. Create three columns or spaces to edit labelled “Brainstorm”, “Agreements”, and “Parking Lot.”

3. Read the following ground rules for the conversation out loud so that everyone can be reminded of what a successful conversation looks like. Ground Rules:

   1. Listen with an open mind to what other people say.
   2. Create space for everyone’s voice to be heard by inviting quiet people in to the conversation.
   3. Wait until someone is finished talking before you talk.
   4. Resist the urge to shoot ideas down, instead looking for ways to compromise and say “Yes, and...”

4. Set a timer for 8 minutes and ask everyone to jot down answers to each question. These are private notes that no one else will see.

   1. What is important to you about the work this team will do together?
   2. What are your ideal conditions for getting your best work done?
   3. When you are supported fully by the team, what can your team count on you for? What behaviors will you bring to the team?
   4. Think about a team you have been on in the past (at Momentum or elsewhere) that did not work well together. What can this current team do to avoid mistakes or misunderstandings that happened on previous teams that you were a part of?
   5. Think about a team you have been on that worked well together. What did that team do that this team could adopt?

5. Using what you wrote in Step 4, each team member should write down at least 2 agreements they propose for the team in the Brainstorming section of the shared document.

6. When everyone is finished, go through what folks wrote down together as a group. Combine similar agreements, edit ones that are too specific, add anything that seems left out, and move anything that seems unrelated to the Parking Lot section.

7. When you have a set of agreements that have been edited, you’re ready to vote. Read each agreement aloud and ask for everyone to vote with a 👍 on each agreement.

   1. When everyone has given it a 👍, move it to the agreements section.
   2. If anyone gives an agreement a 👎, ask that person what it would take to move their vote to a 👍. Discuss and edit. Repeat the vote.
   3. The goal is to have consensus and complete agreement.

8. When your team has finalized your agreement, record the date and time of the agreement on the document. Name it “Team Charter” and pin or bookmark it in your team’s Slack channel so everyone can find it easily.