Inclusion

InclusionTeamCharter.pdf

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ILRDI004:Fostering an Inclusive Climate Cornell University

Tool: Develop an Inclusion Team Charter The purpose of this tool is to develop an “Inclusion Team Charter.” There are numerous goals to doing this work: (a) take the time to discover new things you didn’t know about your teammates; (b) discuss team process issues so that you can identify previously unaddressed differences in styles, preferences, expectations, or values that may be inhibiting smooth teaming; and (c) lay out a blueprint for how the team can coordinate, empower members, and facilitate inclusion more effectively in the future. Research shows that teams that set aside more time to carefully discuss all the sections that appear below benefit from greater improvements to team functioning and performance. We recommend that you record the agreements that you develop as a team. There are two steps to developing your Inclusion Team Charter. The first involves preparatory work to be completed by each team member in advance of the scheduled meeting. The second involves a team discussion of the questions that appear under “Step 2.”

Step 1: Individual Preparation: A good team charter should take into account the range of individual profiles that are

present within the team, and so team members should come to the planned discussion of the Team Charter prepared to discuss the following:

• Personal background (e.g., where you grew up, what you studied, hobbies or

personal interests, features of your personality, etc.) • Preferred means of communication (text, email, phone, face-to-face, video) • Preferred work times and availability • Personal strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the team’s work • The types of interactions that energize you versus shut you down or make you

uncomfortable

Step 2: Discuss team roles, expectations, and processes, and record your team agreements: After sharing individual profiles among the team, discuss and determine the norms that you would like to establish for the team in order to enhance team inclusion. Below are questions that you should discuss and about which you should come to agreement as a team. We encourage you to also discuss how you will monitor your agreements and

ILRDI004:Fostering an Inclusive Climate Cornell University

ensure that team members speak up when the team fails to follow what you have agreed to do. You might choose to have all team members pledge to do their part in ensuring that the team honors these agreements and agree not to react defensively if a team member speaks up when a team agreement is not being followed. Or, you may decide that you’d like to assign various team members to be in charge of keeping the team on track. Questions to guide the development of your team agreements for facilitating inclusion:

1. How do we ensure that there is a shared understanding of the team’s goals and

mission? o What are the team’s goals and mission? How do we make sure that

everyone is able to contribute to helping us achieve our mission? 2. How do we build strong social connections?

o What investments will we make in nurturing strong social connections and interpersonal understanding?

3. How do we communicate as a team? o What is the best way to communicate as a team? How can we make sure

that people are not left out of the information loop? 4. How do we enable everyone to express their views?

o What factors or types of situations currently make people feel uncomfortable about expressing their views? What can be done as a team to eliminate those barriers and make sure that everyone has a chance to provide their input?

5. How do we work together to solve disagreements? o When there is disagreement within the team about a decision that needs

to be made, what methods should the team use to arrive at an integrative solution? How will the final decision be made when one is needed?

6. How do we handle interpersonal friction or misunderstandings? o What is the best way for team members to safely discuss sources of

friction or misunderstanding so that they can be resolved? 7. How do we assign team members’ roles and responsibilities?

o What is the best way to ensure team members’ perceptions of fairness and equity when we decide who is responsible for what activities?

8. How do we best leverage team members’ diverse strengths and abilities? o What is the best process for arriving at a shared understanding of team

members’ strengths and how they can be optimally leveraged to achieve the team’s goals? How will we share feedback about team members’ strengths and the application of those strengths to the team’s work?

ILRDI004:Fostering an Inclusive Climate Cornell University