Top Team Agreement Template Examples for Better Collaboration

Level Up Your Teamwork with a Solid Team Agreement

Team agreements prevent misunderstandings and boost productivity. This listicle provides six readily available team agreement templates to help your team establish clear expectations and communication guidelines. Stop wasting time creating a team agreement from scratch. This list offers practical templates for various platforms including Notion, Atlassian, Monday.com, Google Docs, Miro, and Microsoft Teams/SharePoint, so you can quickly create a team agreement and focus on achieving your goals. Choose the best team agreement template for your team and start collaborating more effectively.

1. Notion Team Agreement Template

Streamlining team collaboration and communication is crucial for any successful project, especially in fast-paced environments like software development. A well-defined team agreement template acts as a guiding document, outlining shared expectations and responsibilities. Notion, a popular workspace and productivity platform, offers a robust and customizable team agreement template that helps teams establish clear guidelines for collaboration, communication, and workflow processes. This template allows teams to document shared expectations, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes in a visually appealing and organized format. The template is easily shareable and adaptable, making it ideal for various team structures and project needs.

This Notion-based team agreement template earns its place on this list due to its flexibility, visual appeal, and seamless integration within the Notion ecosystem. It's particularly beneficial for teams already leveraging Notion for project management, task tracking, or note-taking. For Engineering Managers, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and other team leads working in Agile environments, the real-time collaboration and version history features prove invaluable for iterative agreement development and adaptation.

Features and Benefits:

• Fully Customizable Sections: Tailor sections for team values, communication protocols (e.g., preferred communication channels, response times), meeting structures (e.g., meeting frequency, agendas), and decision-making processes. This granular control allows teams to address specific needs and preferences.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple team members can contribute to the team agreement simultaneously, fostering a sense of shared ownership and ensuring everyone's voice is heard. This is especially helpful for distributed teams.
• Integration with Other Notion Tools: Seamlessly link the team agreement to other Notion workspaces, including calendars, task boards, and project databases. This integration creates a centralized hub for all team-related information.
• Version History Tracking: Track the evolution of the team agreement over time, providing valuable context and facilitating continuous improvement. This feature also simplifies conflict resolution by offering a clear audit trail of changes.
• Easy Sharing and Permission Settings: Control team access and visibility with granular permission settings, ensuring the right information reaches the right people.

Pros:

• Highly Flexible and Adaptable: Caters to diverse team structures, project methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall), and company cultures.
• Visual Organization: Leverages Notion's visual interface with tables, toggles, and formatting options, making the agreement easy to navigate and understand.
• Seamless Notion Integration: Enhances existing Notion workflows and centralizes team information.
• Free Option Available: Basic features are accessible with a free Notion account, making it a cost-effective solution for smaller teams or those exploring team agreements for the first time.

Cons:

• Notion Dependency: Requires team members to be familiar with and comfortable using Notion.
• Limited Offline Functionality: Requires internet access for full functionality, potentially posing challenges in offline environments.
• Advanced Features Require Subscription: Unlocking the full potential of Notion, including unlimited team members and advanced features, necessitates a paid subscription.

Implementation Tips:

• Start with a Template: Utilize Notion's pre-built team agreement template as a starting point and customize it to reflect your team's specific needs.
• Facilitate a Collaborative Workshop: Engage the entire team in the creation and review of the team agreement to ensure buy-in and ownership.
• Regularly Review and Update: Treat the team agreement as a living document and revisit it periodically to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness.

Website: https://www.notion.so/templates

The Notion team agreement template is a valuable resource for teams seeking to establish clear expectations, foster effective communication, and drive project success. Its flexibility, integration within the Notion ecosystem, and collaborative features make it an ideal solution for modern, dynamic teams.

2. Atlassian Team Playbook - Working Agreements

Atlassian's Team Playbook offers a robust, free team agreement template designed to facilitate better collaboration and minimize friction within teams. This structured approach guides teams through defining their preferred working styles, decision-making processes, communication protocols, and accountability measures. Whether your team is co-located or fully remote, the Team Playbook's working agreements play helps create a shared understanding of expectations, leading to increased efficiency and a more harmonious working environment. It's especially valuable for agile and remote teams striving for consistent practices and strong team cohesion.

This template stands out due to its guided workshop format, complete with step-by-step facilitation instructions. Predefined categories covering crucial aspects of teamwork, such as communication, meetings, decision-making, and conflict resolution, provide a solid foundation. Built-in examples and best practices from high-performing teams offer valuable insights and inspiration. Furthermore, the template is highly customizable, allowing teams to tailor it to their specific needs and challenges. The integration with Confluence allows for seamless documentation and sharing of the agreement, making it a living document accessible to all team members.

Key Features:

• Guided Workshop Format: Facilitates a collaborative process for creating the agreement.
• Predefined Categories: Covers key areas like communication, meetings, decision-making, and conflict resolution.
• Confluence Integration: Enables easy documentation, sharing, and updating of the agreement.
• Best Practices & Examples: Provides valuable insights from successful teams.
• Customization: Adaptable to suit various team sizes, structures, and project types.

Pros:

• Free and Accessible: No cost barrier for utilizing this valuable resource.
• Research-Backed: Built upon best practices gleaned from thousands of teams.
• Atlassian Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Jira and other Atlassian products.
• Remote-Friendly: Includes specific guidance for distributed teams.

Cons:

• Atlassian Ecosystem: While usable standalone, benefits are maximized within the Atlassian ecosystem.
• Overly Structured for Some: Might be too formal for small or informal teams.
• Time Investment: Requires dedicated time for the initial workshop and implementation.

Implementation Tips:

• Block dedicated time: Schedule a dedicated workshop for the team to work through the template together.
• Assign a facilitator: Choose someone to guide the discussion and ensure everyone's voice is heard.
• Customize the template: Adapt the predefined categories and questions to fit your team's specific context.
• Document and share: Store the final agreement in Confluence or a shared location easily accessible to all team members.
• Regularly review and update: Revisit the agreement periodically to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

Why it deserves its place on the list: The Atlassian Team Playbook’s Working Agreements template provides a structured, comprehensive, and free solution for teams seeking to establish clear expectations and foster a productive working environment. Its integration with the Atlassian suite makes it particularly compelling for teams already leveraging those tools. While it may be more structured than necessary for some smaller teams, its comprehensive nature and guided approach provide invaluable support for establishing a solid foundation for teamwork.

Website: https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/working-agreements

3. Monday.com Team Agreement Template

For teams already leveraging the Monday.com platform, their built-in team agreement template offers a robust and integrated solution for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships. This template goes beyond a static document, providing a dynamic and interactive hub for your team's agreement. This makes it especially valuable for remote, cross-functional, or geographically dispersed teams who benefit from a centralized, accessible point of reference for their shared understanding. Instead of a dusty document buried in a shared drive, your team agreement becomes a living part of your workflow.

The Monday.com team agreement template allows you to define communication protocols, meeting schedules, decision-making processes, and conflict resolution strategies all within a visually engaging board format. This allows teams to easily track the status of each agreement component, assign responsibilities for specific actions, and ensure that all members are aligned. The visual nature of the board, with customizable status columns and fields, makes referencing the agreement quick and easy. For example, teams can quickly see who is responsible for updating a specific section of the agreement or the current status of a decision.

Features such as automated notifications ensure that team members are informed of updates, due dates for reviews, or any changes to the agreement. This promotes accountability and transparency within the team. For teams already working within the Monday.com ecosystem, this template seamlessly integrates with existing workflows and projects. Imagine linking your team agreement directly to project boards, ensuring alignment on working styles and communication throughout the project lifecycle. This integration eliminates the need to switch between different tools and keeps all relevant information centralized.

While Monday.com offers a free version, full access to the team agreement template and its features requires a paid subscription. Pricing varies depending on the plan chosen, so teams should evaluate their needs and budget accordingly. The platform's intuitive interface generally makes it easy to use, although setting up the team agreement template might require a slightly steeper learning curve compared to simpler, document-based alternatives. For teams with very basic agreement needs, the extensive features of the Monday.com template might be more than necessary.

Pros:

• Highly visual interface for easy tracking and reference.
• Seamless integration with existing Monday.com workspaces.
• Customizable notifications and reminders for agreement reviews.
• Mobile app access for convenient reference.

Cons:

• Requires a Monday.com subscription for full functionality.
• More complex setup than document-based templates.
• May include more features than required for simple team agreements.

Implementation Tips:

• Start by defining the key areas your team agreement should cover.
• Assign team members responsible for specific sections of the agreement.
• Utilize the notification features to ensure everyone stays informed.
• Regularly review and update the agreement as needed.

For teams already invested in the Monday.com ecosystem, especially those seeking a dynamic and integrated approach to team agreements, this template is a powerful tool for fostering collaboration and clarity. Access the template directly through the Monday.com templates library: https://monday.com/templates/

4. Google Docs Team Contract Template

For teams seeking a simple and accessible way to establish a team agreement template, Google Docs offers a robust and collaborative solution. This free template empowers teams to clearly document expectations, goals, and working procedures, fostering transparency and alignment from the outset. Its collaborative nature makes it particularly useful for distributed teams or those already heavily reliant on the Google Workspace ecosystem. Whether you’re outlining communication protocols, defining roles and responsibilities, or establishing conflict resolution procedures, this template provides a structured framework to get your team on the same page.

This Google Docs team agreement template deserves its place on this list because of its ease of use, accessibility, and collaborative features, making it a practical choice for a wide range of teams, especially those already working within the Google Workspace. Specific sections for team mission, individual roles, communication guidelines, and conflict resolution procedures provide a solid foundation for any team agreement.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Real-time Collaboration: All team members can edit the document simultaneously, fostering a sense of shared ownership and ensuring everyone's voice is heard. This is particularly valuable for Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters facilitating team agreement workshops.
• Built-in Feedback Mechanisms: The comment and suggestion features within Google Docs promote constructive feedback and discussion during the drafting process. This is especially helpful for Engineering Managers and Product Owners clarifying requirements and expectations.
• Version History: Track changes and revisions over time, providing a clear audit trail of the evolution of the team agreement. This can be a valuable resource for DevOps Leaders and CTOs monitoring team progress and adherence to agreed-upon processes.
• Easy Sharing and Access: Share the team agreement template via link or email with customizable permissions. Its accessibility from any device with an internet connection makes it perfect for distributed teams or those working in flexible environments. This resonates with Software Development Teams and Jira Users who require access to documentation across various platforms.
• Seamless Integration: Integrate the template effortlessly with other Google Workspace tools, further streamlining workflows and centralizing team documentation.

Pros:

• Free to use with a Google account.
• Familiar interface, minimizing the learning curve for team members.
• Highly customizable to fit the specific needs of any team, from small project groups to larger departments.
• Seamless integration with other Google Workspace tools.

Cons:

• Limited formatting options compared to dedicated team agreement platforms.
• Lacks built-in tracking or notification features for action items.
• May become unwieldy for highly complex team structures with intricate dependencies.

Implementation Tips:

• Dedicated Creation Session: Schedule a dedicated meeting for the team to collaboratively create the agreement, ensuring everyone contributes.
• Start with the Template: Utilize the pre-built sections as a starting point and tailor them to the team's specific context.
• Regular Review and Updates: Establish a regular cadence for reviewing and updating the team agreement to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

Website: https://docs.google.com/templates

This free and versatile template represents a solid starting point for teams of all sizes, from small Agile sprints to larger, complex projects, who want to define a clear and shared understanding of how they will work together. While it lacks the advanced features of dedicated platforms, its simplicity and accessibility make it a compelling option for teams looking for a practical team agreement template.

5. Miro Team Charter Template

For teams seeking a dynamic and visual approach to establishing their team agreement template, the Miro Team Charter Template offers a compelling solution. This interactive whiteboard-based template enables teams to collaboratively define their purpose, values, roles, working norms, and communication flows in a highly engaging format. Unlike static text documents, Miro facilitates a more interactive and participatory experience, making it particularly effective for remote teams, visual thinkers, and collaborative workshops. The drag-and-drop functionality and visual frameworks within Miro empower teams to map relationships, processes, and agreements in a way that resonates with diverse learning styles.

This template provides dedicated sections for essential team agreement components: purpose, values, roles, and working agreements. Built-in facilitation tools such as voting, timers, and sticky notes further enhance collaboration and engagement during team charter creation workshops. The ability to embed relevant documents, links, and media directly onto the board ensures that all pertinent information is readily accessible in a centralized location. For distributed teams, this visual, shared workspace fosters a sense of unity and shared understanding, even when members are geographically dispersed.

Features and Benefits for Agile Teams:

Specifically for Engineering Managers, Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners, Miro's integration with Agile workflows offers significant advantages. The visual nature of the platform helps clarify sprint goals, track progress visually, and facilitate sprint retrospectives in a more engaging way. Teams can easily visualize dependencies, roadblocks, and workflows, leading to improved transparency and communication.

Pros:

• Highly visual and engaging: Fosters active participation and caters to diverse learning styles.
• Excellent for remote workshops: Provides a shared digital space for collaborative brainstorming and decision-making.
• Real-time collaboration: Enables simultaneous input from all team members, regardless of location.
• Exportable to various formats: Allows for easy documentation and sharing of the final team agreement.
• Facilitates Agile workflows: Supports visual sprint planning, retrospectives, and workflow management.

Cons:

• Free plan limitations: Restricts the number of editable boards, potentially requiring a paid subscription for larger teams.
• Complexity for some: The visual interface may feel overwhelming for teams who prefer simple text-based documents.
• Internet dependency: Requires a stable internet connection for access and editing.

Pricing and Technical Requirements:

Miro offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans provide increased functionality and board capacity. Check their website for the most up-to-date pricing information. The platform is accessible through a web browser and requires an internet connection.

Implementation Tips:

• Start with a template: Leverage the pre-built Team Charter template to guide the process.
• Facilitate a dedicated workshop: Schedule a focused session for team members to contribute to the charter.
• Utilize Miro's built-in tools: Encourage the use of voting, timers, and sticky notes for interactive brainstorming and decision-making.
• Integrate with existing workflows: Connect Miro with other tools like Jira for seamless project management.

Website: https://miro.com/templates/team-charter/

The Miro Team Charter Template stands out as a powerful tool for teams embracing visual collaboration. Its interactive nature, rich feature set, and focus on engagement make it a valuable asset for establishing effective team agreements, especially in remote and Agile environments. For teams seeking a more dynamic and visually engaging alternative to traditional text-based team charters, Miro is an excellent choice.

6. Microsoft Teams & SharePoint Team Agreement Template

For organizations deeply embedded in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, the Microsoft Teams & SharePoint Team Agreement Template offers a robust and integrated solution for establishing and maintaining team agreements. This template allows teams to define clear guidelines for communication, file management, meetings, and decision-making processes, all within the familiar Microsoft environment. Leveraging the collaborative power of Microsoft 365, this solution ensures team agreements are readily accessible, consistently up-to-date, and seamlessly woven into the team's daily workflows. This integration makes it a powerful option for teams already working within the Microsoft suite, eliminating the need for external tools and streamlining the agreement process.

This template deserves its place on this list because it specifically addresses the needs of teams working within Microsoft 365. For engineering managers, scrum masters, product owners, and software development teams already collaborating in Teams and SharePoint, having the team agreement directly within their existing workflow is invaluable. It simplifies access, encourages adherence, and streamlines updates. Features like version control and co-authoring facilitate a transparent and collaborative process for crafting and refining the agreement. Customizable sections for team norms, communication guidelines, and responsibilities allow teams to tailor the agreement to their specific needs, whether it's defining coding standards, sprint review processes, or communication protocols.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Seamless Integration: Direct integration with Microsoft Teams channels and SharePoint sites embeds the team agreement directly into the team's workspace. This reduces friction and increases visibility, making it easier for everyone to access and adhere to the agreed-upon guidelines.
• Collaboration & Version Control: Co-authoring capabilities and version history ensure everyone can contribute to the agreement and track changes over time. This is especially beneficial for agile teams that adapt and evolve their processes regularly.
• Customization: Tailor the template to your team's specific needs by customizing sections on communication protocols, meeting etiquette, decision-making processes, file organization, and more.
• Permission-Based Access Control: Manage who can view and edit the team agreement to ensure appropriate visibility and maintain control over the document.
• Attachment Capabilities: Attach relevant company policies, reference documents, or other resources directly to the team agreement for easy access.
• Accessibility: Access the agreement from anywhere, anytime, through desktop, web, and mobile applications.

Pros:

• Seamless integration with the existing Microsoft 365 environment.
• Familiar interface for teams already using Microsoft products.
• Enterprise-grade security and compliance features inherent to the Microsoft platform.
• Accessibility via multiple devices.

Cons:

• Requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.
• Setup can be slightly more complex compared to simpler, standalone template solutions.
• May introduce unnecessary complexity for smaller teams with less demanding requirements.

Implementation Tips:

• Designate an owner responsible for setting up and maintaining the team agreement within SharePoint and Teams.
• Involve the entire team in the creation and review process to foster buy-in and ownership.
• Start with a basic template and gradually add complexity as needed.
• Regularly review and update the agreement to reflect evolving team dynamics and project requirements.

Pricing and Technical Requirements:

The Microsoft Teams & SharePoint Team Agreement Template is included with a Microsoft 365 subscription. Access to SharePoint and Microsoft Teams is required. For specific pricing details, refer to the Microsoft 365 pricing plans.

Website: https://templates.office.com

This integrated approach to team agreements offered by Microsoft streamlines the process for teams already working within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it a valuable tool for driving team alignment and improving collaboration.

Team Agreement Templates Comparison

Ready to Supercharge Your Team's Success?

A well-defined team agreement is the cornerstone of any high-performing team. From clarifying roles and responsibilities to establishing communication protocols and decision-making processes, a robust team agreement template sets the stage for success. This article explored several powerful tools, including Notion, Atlassian's Team Playbook, Monday.com, Google Docs, Miro, and Microsoft Teams/SharePoint, each offering unique features for creating and managing your team agreement. Remember, the best team agreement template is the one that best suits your team's specific needs and workflow. When choosing, consider factors like ease of use, integration with existing tools, and the level of customization available.

Key takeaways from exploring these team agreement templates include the importance of:

• Clear Expectations: Define roles, responsibilities, and individual contributions upfront.
• Open Communication: Establish preferred communication channels, meeting frequencies, and feedback mechanisms.
• Conflict Resolution: Outline a process for addressing disagreements constructively and respectfully.
• Shared Values: Align the team around a common purpose and set of principles.
• Adaptability: Ensure the team agreement template is a living document that can evolve with the team's needs.

Implementing your chosen team agreement template is just the first step. Continuous monitoring and improvement are crucial for long-term success. To gain deeper insights into how your team is performing against the agreement, consider using a platform like Umano. Umano integrates with tools like Jira, GitHub, and GitLab, offering valuable data on team dynamics, workflows, and overall performance – providing the information you need to refine your team agreement and boost productivity.

Ready to take your team's performance to the next level? Umano can help you transform your team agreement template from a static document into a dynamic tool for continuous improvement. Visit Umano today to explore how data-driven insights can empower your team to achieve its full potential.