The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
What is a team charter? A team charter can be used to clarify expectations
about all the components needed for the team to achieve excellence. The
single most important thing that a team leader can do is to help in clarifying
a team’s purpose and goals. The team charter defines the team and guides
the team to:
get
to know each other
establish
their place within the group
reach
a common understanding of their objectives
agree
on ground rules
clarify
their expectations of each other
reinforce
acceptable behaviors
determine
increase
their collective values
effective communication
Included in this TEAM CHARTER set you will find tools to assists in the
development of the:
Purpose Statement—page 2
Collective Values—page 3
Code of Conduct—pages 4-6
SMART Goals—pages 7-9
Team Meetings—pages 10-11
TEAM CHARTER template—page 12
2/8/2011
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The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose statement defines the work of your team. It helps team
members focus and work from the same agenda.
Step One: List the opportunities or needs that your team exists to address,
placing one in each block going down the first column.
Step Two: Define briefly what your team is doing to address these
opportunities and needs, using the second column.
Step Three: Determine which area of The Salvation Army’s Mission each of
these most fulfills and place a check mark accordingly.
Step Four: Review your findings, look for key words and collectively pull out
the draft purpose statement, using the guide provided.
What are the opportunities
or needs that our team
exists to address?
What are we doing to address MISSIONthese?
Preach the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
MISSION
Meet human
needs In His
name without
Discrimination
GUIDE:
The purpose of our team is to:
We fulfill our purpose by:
2/8/2011
2
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
COLLECTIVE VALUES
Collective values identify common expectations and shared understanding
among team members.
1. On the blank lines
at the end of the
list, add any values
you think are
missing, then check
five values you feel
are most important
for your TEAM.
2. Discuss all values
selected and agree
on two for use in
the next exercise...
Code of Conduct.
□ achievement
□ freedom
□ responsibility
□ caring
□ fun
□ risk
□ caution
□ growth
□ security
□ challenge
□ honesty and integrity
□ service to others
□ communication
□ human relationships
□ speed
□ competition
□ individualism
□ task focus
□ cooperation
□ innovation
□ teamwork
□ creativity
□ involvement
□ uniqueness
□ curiosity
□ learning
□ winning
□ customer focus
□ organization
□
□ determination
□ productivity
□
□ diversity
□ profitability
□
□ fairness
□ quality
□
□ family time
□ quantity
□
□ flexibility
□ respect
□
2/8/2011
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The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
CODE OF CONDUCT - Section One
Codes of conduct bring clarity to a team’s values by specifying acceptable
standards of behavior.
Directions:
1, Read the case example
regarding timeliness and
the BASK model for clarifying
actions on the next page.
2. Select one of the two
values agreed upon in the
last exercise. Place it in the
center of the diagram below.
3. Collectively determine the
specific behaviors, skills,
attitudes and knowledge that
clarify this team value. List them below.
4. Transfer the information from the diagram to the Code of Conduct format on
page 6.
B
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H
A
V
I
O
R
S
A
T
T
I
T
U
D
E
S
S
K
I
L
L
S
K
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O
W
L
E
D
G
E
2/8/2011
4
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
CODE OF CONDUCT - Section Two
Collective values form the basis for building a team’s code of
conduct. It is not enough to simply name a core value because each
team member may have a different idea about what the value
means.
CASE EXAMPLE: Timeliness
Consider a team with a core value of timeliness. One team member may think of
timeliness as completing their individual tasks on time. Another team member
may focus on delivering services to clients within a specified time-frame. These
different conceptualizations of timeliness would result in different expectations
among team members.
Even a common definition of a value is not enough, because
definitions do not guide the team’s daily activities and interactions.
For example, let’s assume the team discussed above shares a common understanding of timeliness to mean delivery of services to clients within a specified
time-frame. Still, some team members might focus on accomplishing a steady
stream of results throughout the project period, while others may rely on “crunch
time” productivity just before the final deadline.
To arrive at a truly shared value, teams can use the BASK model to
agree upon expected actions. For the timeliness example, a team
might articulate the following:
Behaviors – The actions needed by team members to support the value.
Attitudes – How team members think and talk about the value.
Skills – What tools and abilities team members need to support the value.
Knowledge – What teams need to know, understand, or learn to support
the value.
Adapted: BASK model http://strongerteams.wordpress.com/2006/10/07/how-effective-teams-implement-
core-values/
2/8/2011
5
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
CODE OF CONDUCT - Section Three
SAMPLE We value RESPECT. Every person will be treated with dignity and
courtesy. We agree to the following:
Behavior—Inappropriate behavior or conduct including comments that are
insulting, hurtful, disrespectful or rude and body language that is irritating
or offensive will not be tolerated.
Attitudes—Team members are willing to discuss individual beliefs and
attitudes to gain a better understanding of themselves.
Skills—Team members believe training including developing meaningful
relationships with others, discovering your own personality and how to be
courteous in business would increase their skills and abilities to demonstrate respect.
Knowledge- It is the responsibility of every team member to seek out
diversity and harassment workshops and to understand all policies and
practices of the organization.
From page
4: transfer
your work
into this
chart using
the sample
above as
reference.
We value:
We agree to the following:
Behavior
Attitudes
Skills
Knowledge
2/8/2011
6
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
SMART GOALS—Section One
Highly effective teams are known to have six characteristics as shown below.
After reviewing the information for each characteristic and how to set SMART
goals (see page 9), work collectively to complete a goal in each area for your
team. Use the format provided on page 8.
Review your work from page 2 and
establish a SMART Goal in support of
your purpose statement.
Effective teams are clear on roles and
work toward having the right people
in the right jobs.
Effective teams identify the strengths
and abilities of its members and have
leaders who match the demands of a
situation to those best able to handle
it.
Effective teams cooperate to
establish effective team meetings and
processes for dealing with decision
making and conflict.
Effective teams build trust among
its members and are intentional in
getting to know and support each
other.
Effective teams communicate
frequently, openly and honestly with
each other.
2/8/2011
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The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
SMART GOALS—Section Two
Goals you focus on right now are ones having to do with BUILDING
YOUR TEAM.
In other words, there are not the goals for your performance, or for your
department, or your corps or command unit.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Work collectively toward setting one SMART team goal for each
characteristic found in highly effective teams.
2. Work on only one characteristic at a time fine tuning your goal until it
meets the standards of a SMART goal.
3. Write your goal in the section provided below.
4. Move on to the next characteristic.
GOAL:
GOAL:
GOAL:
GOAL:
GOAL:
GOAL:
2/8/2011
8
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
SMART GOALS—Section Three
SPECIFIC
Bad example: “I want to write a book.”
Good example: “I want to write a book on time management that is at least 200 pages in
length and have it done by December 16th. I’ll commit myself to writing at least 2 pages
every workday until I reach completion.”
MEASURABLE
Bad example: “I want to be rich.”
Good example: “I want to generate $100,000 in passive income within 5 years from this
date.”
ATTAINABLE
Bad example: “I want to become a millionaire in 2 months.”
Good example: “I want to become a millionaire within 10 years by starting my own personal development company and doing seminars all over the world and by creating a line
of passive income products.”
RELEVANT
Bad example: “Within one year, I want to become a warlord and have many loyal soldiers
who will commit acts of terrorism on my behalf.”
Good example: “By the end of the year, I want to build a philanthropic foundation that
helps feed the homeless.”
TIME-BOUND
Bad example: “I am going to do my homework.”
Good example: “I am going to finish my homework by 8pm tonight and I’ll achieve this
deadline by spending one hour on each subject.”
2/8/2011
9
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
PLANNING EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS
•Identify the purpose of the meeting. Is a meeting the best way to handle the need?
•Determine who should attend the meeting. Are all the necessary individuals included?
Are they all needed?
•Develop a logically ordered agenda and allocate time considering urgency and
importance.
•Clearly state the discussion items for attendees to understand.
•Send out a meeting notice and agenda with purpose, place, time and any required
preparation.
•Start the meeting on time to maintain effective meeting discipline. Late arrivals must
catch up on their own. Cancel the meeting if "must" members are absent.
•Insure someone is responsible for taking meeting minutes. Standardize the format.
•State the objectives of the meeting. Review the agenda items and the expected actions.
•Follow the agenda. Keep the meeting from getting off track.
•Clarify the issues. Use a disciplined process to gather the facts and come to a decision.
Strive for consensus with key decisions. Summarize important points.
•Manage the time. Assign a timekeeper to assist with this if needed.
•Make the action items and their responsibility explicit.
•Distribute meeting minutes within one day of the meeting.
2/8/2011
10
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
TEAM MEETING GUIDELINES
SAMPLE AGENDA FOR A FIRST
TEAM MEETING
DATE
LOCATION
1. Introduction of team members (clarify role of each member)
2. Develop team meeting guidelines (ground rules)
3. Select and clarify the problem-solving approach to be used by team
4. Recap present meetings OR discussions about agenda items
(Confirm who is following on what activities and by what date. Identify
additional resources that will be required and how and when they will be
obtained.)
5. Establish the date and time for the next meeting
6. Complete the report card below to see how well you did
YES
Participants on time and prepared
Turn off cell-phones (fully engage)
Respect differences don’t discount others’ ideas
Be supportive rather than judgmental
Keep confidentiality
Be willing to forgive
Honesty is the expectation
One person talks at a time
Don’t interrupt someone who is talking
Begin on time...end on time
Focus on addressing specific issues
Publish notes of meeting
2/8/2011
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NO
The Salvation Army—USA Southern Territory
Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development
www.MissionMover.org
404 756-2469
TEAM CHARTER WALL CHART TEMPLATE
The Salvation Army
AnyWhere USA
Our Purpose Statement
Our SMART Goals
Our Collective Values
Our Code of Conduct
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