The First Step in Good Team Management

Teams need self-discipline, and setting operating ground rules can achieve
that. The ground rules should take note not only of the work to be done
but the team process or group interaction. For instance, if the team will
need to work with other groups to accomplish its mission, then the need
for that kind of collaboration should be indicated in the ground rules
and, if possible, the means to achieve it.

Here are some typical ground rules:

• Members will arrive on time and stay for the full meeting.
• Meetings will be held on such and such day and time.
• The team will develop a meeting agenda as a group.
• Handouts related to team discussion will be distributed X days prior to meetings. Members will come to meetings prepared to discuss the subject of
  these handouts.
• The focus of the team will be on its mission, as agreed upon; the group will not be distracted by side issues.
• Team members will allow each other the chance to talk and will hear out their colleagues without interruption.
• Assignments will be made by the group as a whole.
• The discussions will be kept to the point and professional; the focus will
  be on issues, not personalities.
• The team will meet with leaders of other groups once monthly to review their conclusions.
• All decisions will be reached by consensus. Disagreements will be resolved
  by multivoting or voting over time, slowly eliminating items until only
  one workable solution remains.
  

You may be team leader but that doesn't mean that you set these ground rules. Rather, you work with your team to create the operating guidelines by which it will operate — and for obvious reasons. You want the group's members to buy into them, particularly those rules which give you the means to get the team to look beyond a disagreement to move forward toward achievement of the team's objectives.

To help your team formulate its own ground rules, ask its members to consider what behaviors will distract from the team's mission and what behaviors will contribute to its achievement. Critical to true collaboration during team meetings is to ask early on, “How will we handle disagreements among us?“ Input from the team in addressing this issue in the ground rules will support actions you take as leader — and will ensure member support in the event that a difference gets out of hand and two or more team members bring personalities into their disagreement.