Team Working Agreement

This working agreement outlines the guidelines and expectations for our team’s communication and collaboration. Adhering to these guidelines will help ensure our project runs smoothly and everyone feels respected and valued.

Communication During Meetings

1. Speaking Protocols:
   • Team members should raise their hand (physically or virtually) to speak.
   • Team members should be mindful to step up if they haven't spoken and step back if they've spoken frequently to make space for others.
   • Cameras should be kept on during meetings to facilitate engagement unless there are connectivity issues or personal reasons.
2. Respect and Inclusivity:
   • Maintain a respectful environment by listening actively and valuing different opinions.
   • Disagreements should be addressed constructively and respectfully.
3. Meeting Efficiency:
   • Meetings will start and end on time. An agenda will be shared at least 24 hours in advance.
   • Note-taking will rotate among team members, and notes will be shared in Notion within 24 hours post-meeting. (Includes using AI tools to take notes)
   • Action items and takeaways will be tracked and organized in the meeting notes and Kanban board.
4. Catching Up:
   • If a team member misses a meeting, they are expected to review the meeting notes and recordings within 48 hours.
5. Privacy and Confidentiality:
   • Open meetings are allowed unless specifically marked as closed. The decision to record meetings will be made collectively.
   • Research findings will be anonymized to maintain participant privacy.
   • For NDA projects, all meetings, notes, and recordings will be kept confidential and shared only with authorized team members.

Communication on Slack/Discord

1. Response Expectations:
   • Respond to Slack/Discord messages within 24 hours on weekdays.
   • Urgent messages should be responded to within 1 hour during working hours.
2. Status Updates:
   • Update Slack/Discord status to reflect availability (active/inactive/vacation) daily.
3. Tagging and Notifications:
   • Use @channel or @here only for important announcements or urgent issues.
   • Tag individuals or groups relevant to the message content.
4. Availability and Meetings:
   • Notify the team at least 1 hour before a meeting if unable to attend.
   • Ensure clear, kind, and respectful communication on Slack/Discord.
5. Monitoring and Updates:
   • Regularly monitor project-specific channels.
   • Important updates and action items will be posted by the project lead or designated team member.

Working on Notion

1. Updating Responsibilities:
   • Both team leads and apprentices are responsible for updating relevant sections of Notion.
   • Meeting notes, Kanban updates, and project documents must be kept current.
2. Permissions and Audience:
   • Editing permissions will be granted based on roles.
   • Notion pages should be written for team members, shadowers, and future project phases.
3. Kanban Board:
   • The project manager or designated team member will update the Kanban board daily.

Inter-team Communication and Standards

1. Cross-Team Liaisons:
   • Liaisons will rotate monthly and report back after meetings in the team’s Slack channel.