Ground Rules
Clear expectations for the conduct and behavior of team members.
Ground rules are agreed-upon expectations for acceptable team behavior, communication norms, meeting conduct, and decision-making. Establishing them early — typically when the team charter is created during planning — prevents ambiguity and reduces interpersonal conflict later. Recorded in the team charter alongside team values and working agreements, they give the whole team collective ownership over enforcement rather than placing that burden solely on the project manager. The key exam distinction is that ground rules are one component of the charter, not a separate deliverable. This aligns with the proactive leadership emphasis in the ECO’s People domain.
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