HBR Guide to Leading Teams (HBR Guide Series)

Chapter 7

Commit to a Team Contract

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve done a lot of work to build your team’s infrastructure. Now it’s time to seal the deal.

Nothing secures commitment more than writing up a contract—summarizing what you’ve agreed to in team-building conversations—and having all members sign it. This solidifies their understanding of what’s expected of them, helps in resolving future disagreements, and reminds them of what they’ve agreed to as you track progress, hold one another accountable, and strive for improvement.

Signing the contract also serves as a symbolic bridge from building the team to working as a team. Consider recognizing the achievement with a dinner out or a toast—a lot of time, energy, and human capital has ...