Team Communication Charter

A communication charter identifies the understood norms team members will use to access and provide information across the team and in their collective work.

Regardless of the size, duration, and purpose of a team, a communication charter creates clarity, consistency, and accountability around how team members interact.

Preparing for This Activity

Anticipated Duration: 30–90 minutes.
Preparation Level: Low
Suitable for: In person and remote meetings
Materials: whiteboard, flipchart, and/or shared doc

Roadmap

Frame the conversation by explaining:

A team communication charter is a co-created document that provides clear guidance and best practices to:

Reduce confusion. Develop a shared understanding of use of tools for similar purpose (e.g., email vs. chat vs. call).
Improve efficiency. Establish clear norms on what tool to use and when.
Create transparency. Define explicit expectations about how and when to communicate.
Support equitable and inclusive access. Ensure everyone has access to the same information and understands preferred channels of communication.

The goal is to have some key norms for how we communicate as a team by the end of this session. This is ongoing work, but we will have a path to start from.

Instructions

1. Identify current tools and pain points (10 minutes)

Ask: What communication tools do we currently use?
Capture what is shared on a whiteboard, flipchart, or shared doc.
Discuss:
- What is missing?
- What is working well?
- Where is there confusion or inefficiencies?

2. Identify communication needs (10 minutes)

Break into small groups (pairs or trios).
Discuss: What types of communication do we need to manage?
- Urgent updates
- Project collaboration
- Quick updates or questions
- Announcements
- Meetings
- Other
Groups list communication needs on sticky notes or in a shared doc.

3. Match needs to tools

As a team, match each communication need to the best tool for your team.
Example:
- Urgent issues: Teams Chat
- Project updates: Shared project board
- Formal decisions: Email
- Meeting agenda: Outlook calendar invite

4. Draft communication norms

Summarize agreed upon norms in a simple draft table.
Tool | Purpose | Considerations table
- Tool: What communication tools and platforms does our team currently use and/or have access to?
  - Example: Teams Chat
- Purpose: What do we mutually agree is an effective use of each of these communication tools/platforms?
  - Example: Quick and/or urgent communications
- Considerations: What are mutually agreed upon expectations, and standards in using these tools/platforms?
  - Example: Check recipient availability in Teams and share desired response time.

5. Develop team communication charter template

Create a team communication charter template in a shared document.
Include:
- Team name
- Date created/last updated
- Review date
- Purpose
  - Example: To create clarity and consistency in how we communicate as a team, ensuring efficiency, inclusion, and accountability.
- Mapped communication table with Tool | Purpose | Considerations

6. Practice and test out

Practice with the communication charter norms and then revisit.
- What is working well?
- What might be missing?
- What might need more clarity?
Decide how to share and revisit the communication charter on an ongoing basis.

7. Check-out

Invite each team member to share something new they learned today.

Closing Thoughts

Emphasize shared ownership. Remind the team that the charter is their agreement, not a top-down mandate.
Include meeting norms. Consider including team meeting norms in your Communication Charter.
- Frequency
- Agenda shared by date
- Notes documented (link)
- Meeting facilitator or convener name
Decide on an escalation process. Consider the benefit of identifying an escalation process. If there is no response within the agreed-upon timeframe or based on urgency, what is the understood follow-up method?
Create a living document. A communications charter is a living document and should be revisited (e.g., monthly, quarterly), revised and refreshed as needed.
Normalize Adjustments. Make it clear that continuous improvement is part of the process and any adjustments will be made together.