Team norms concern how team members will interact, communicate, and conduct themselves as

members of the team. Norms express intentions; they help team members agree on how they'd like to

get along before situations emerge that might otherwise prevent them from getting along. Furthermore,

norms provide a context for discussing grievances about team behavior, thereby preventing tensions

from mounting and frustrations from festering. Norm setting gives team members an opportunity to

express what's important to them and to learn what's important to their teammates.

Sample Norms

Here are some of the norms that project teams have found helpful:

Listen to what others are saying.

Strive to understand each other's perspectives, rather than jumping to conclusions.

Try to resolve problems without blaming.

Send an acknowledgement in response to important email messages.

Respect $"$do not disturb" signs on people's cubicles.

When you've made a commitment you can't keep, let the other party know as soon as

possible.

If you don't understand something, ask for clarification.

If you see a problem that others haven't noticed, bring it to someone's attention.

Treat clients' issues and concerns as valid even if you don't agree with them.

If you think team members have a conflicting understanding of a project issue, bring it to their