Team Values - Pt 1

Knowing why your team exists and why the team exists is important.  It is important because it creates a bond between the team members and it also provides both boundaries and a sense of grounding.

To give the team a sense of unity and working together it is a good idea to create some team values and a philosophy of approach.  Team values provide both the methodology and the core purpose for acting.

Here are a few thoughts on team values -

1. Position.  Values are not rules but a set of guidelines that help team members to understand what is required of them as both an individual and a team member.
2. Performance.  Values help team members know what their performance assessment criteria are.  Team members know the difference between individual performance and team performance.
3. Purpose.  Values help to bond the team toward a single focus and reason for being.  Team members understand why the team exists.
4. Management.  Team values can empower the manager to lead and guide the team.  The combined team sets the values and the manager guides and holds to account each team member to ensure they remain on track.

Tomorrow the when, how and who writes the values.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40383565@N06/4285112117/)