Set Meaningful Rules of Engagement for Your Team

Building a high-performing team requires more than assembling a group of talented individuals. 

While talent is crucial, it’s the ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and share a strong sense of purpose that makes a team cohesive, resilient, and capable of achieving extraordinary things. This is where meaningful rules of engagement come in. 

Rules of engagement serve as the foundation for how team members interact, resolve conflicts, and support each other’s growth. They ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and how they fit into the larger picture of the organization as a high-performing unit.

Let’s explore how you can set meaningful rules of engagement for your team to maximize performance and cohesion.

Understand Your Team’s Needs With a Data-Driven Foundation

Last year, a Gallup survey revealed a growing sense of detachment among U.S. employees from their employers, especially among young and remote workers. Workers reported decreased role clarity, diminished satisfaction with their organizations, and a weaker connection to their companies’ mission or purpose. Most alarmingly, employees increasingly felt that no one at work cared about their well-being.

This trend of dissatisfaction and detachment presents a complex problem for executives and leaders. How can we engage workers who don’t feel connected to organizations or passionate about their roles? 

It’s a problem that requires tackling from multiple angles. And it won’t fix itself overnight. But no matter where your team lies on the spectrum from highly engaged to completely disengaged, there are actionable steps that leaders can take to foster a more connected and motivated workforce.

Start With Data 

How well do you really understand your team’s dynamics? Intuition can be a valuable leadership tool, but when it comes to crafting meaningful rules of engagement, it’s important to leverage the power of data.

Valuable data doesn’t have to be complex or time-consuming to gather. It can be as simple as open-ended discussions and one-on-one meetings with your team members. 

One of the most effective ways to gather data is through open conversation. Schedule discussions and one-on-one meetings with your team members to discuss: 

• Role Clarity: Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined? Do team members understand their individual contributions to the team’s success?
• Communication Preferences: How do team members prefer to receive information and updates? Email, instant messaging, or in-person meetings? 
• Collaboration Challenges: What are the biggest hurdles your team faces when working together? Do communication breakdowns or unclear expectations hinder progress?
• Motivation and Satisfaction: What motivates your team members? What aspects of their work do they find most fulfilling?

In addition to open and honest conversations, it can be helpful to offer alternative methods of feedback from employees. Not everyone is comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings in face-to-face conversations, so it’s important to provide multiple avenues for feedback. 

Try these more formal methods of collecting data from your team: 

• Simple Surveys and Polls: Use quick surveys to gather quantitative data on preferred communication styles, meeting formats, and desired levels of autonomy.
• Anonymous Feedback Mechanisms: Provide anonymous channels for team members to share honest feedback on current practices, challenges, and areas for improvement. 
• Assessments: Formal assessments, like the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Assessment, measure behaviors that research has demonstrated as essential qualities of high-performing teams: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. 

By combining data from both qualitative (conversations) and quantitative (surveys or assessments) sources, you’ll gain a well-rounded understanding of your team’s needs. A comprehensive data set will serve as a strong foundation for crafting meaningful rules of engagement.

Engage Your Team in the Process

Meaningful rules of engagement aren’t a top-down decree. They’re a collaborative effort that fosters a sense of ownership among your team members. 

Get your team engaged in the process through: 

Brainstorming Sessions

Organize dedicated sessions to discuss team challenges, communication preferences, and desired structures for collaboration. This allows team members to contribute their own perspectives and identify areas where clear guidelines are most needed.

Involving your team members in decision-making about their own rules of engagement is crucial for buy-in as well as actual effectiveness of the rules themselves:

• Research shows that teams outperform individual decision-makers 66% of the time, and decision-making improves as team diversity increases. 
• Increased diversity of gender, ethnicity, and age leads to increased productivity, increased efficiency, and more innovation in regards to how daily tasks are completed. 

“Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

By fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment, you create fertile ground for innovative solutions to flourish – and those solutions can be included in your agreed-upon rules of engagement. 

Team Offsites 

By stepping away from the usual work environment, team offsites offer a unique opportunity for team building, realignment, and succession planning. They encourage open, authentic communication through structured yet dynamic agendas tailored to specific organizational needs, such as SWOT analyses and discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Offsites can provide a wonderful, strategic space to create or revisit rules of engagement through: 

• Dedicated time 
• Focused attention
• Structured agendas
• Building consensus
• Fostering camaraderie 

Build a Strong Foundation: Key Areas to Address

With a clear understanding of your team’s current dynamic and your team’s investment in collaborating to create rules for engagement, it’s time to actually create them! When brainstorming with your team, make sure to discuss these essential areas for a strong team foundation. 

1. Set Clear Expectations from the Start

A strong onboarding process sets the stage for long-term success. Your rules of engagement should address:

• Clear Expectations & Role Clarity: From the very first day, your rules of engagement should establish clear expectations for new team members. This includes outlining their roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics. Eliminate any ambiguity about how their individual contributions fit into the team’s success.
• Supportive & Integrated Environment: Foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where new team members feel comfortable asking questions, seeking help, and voicing their ideas. Consider implementing buddy programs or mentorship initiatives to ease the transition and accelerate integration into the team.
• Transparent Communication Channels: Establish clear and accessible communication channels for new team members to stay informed and provide feedback. Regular check-ins and open communication from the outset set the tone for a collaborative and transparent work environment.

2.  Transparency & Fairness:

Building trust within your team requires committing to transparency and fairness. Your rules of engagement should promote:

• Clear Decision-Making Processes: Decision-making shouldn’t happen in a leadership vacuum. Outline the rationale behind key choices and the criteria used for evaluation.
• Open Communication Channels: Encourage a culture of open communication where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns. Regular team meetings and accessible leadership are crucial for allowing this level of transparency.
• Consistent Application of Policies: Ensure fair and consistent application of policies and procedures across the team. Favoritism or inconsistent enforcement erodes trust and undermines morale.

3. Shared Values & Purpose:

A strong sense of purpose is a powerful motivator. Your rules of engagement should help your team:

• Identify & Articulate Core Values: Work collaboratively with your team to identify a set of core values that resonate with everyone. These values become the guiding principles for decision-making and team behavior.
• Connect Individual Goals to Team Objectives: Help team members understand how their individual goals contribute to the team’s overall success. This connection fosters a sense of shared purpose and motivates team members to go the extra mile.
• Celebrate Achievements & Milestones: Recognize and celebrate both individual and team achievements. Public recognition reinforces positive behavior and motivates team members to maintain their commitment to shared goals.

4. Feedback Culture:

Regular, constructive feedback is how people learn to be better.  Your rules of engagement should establish guidelines for:

• Timely & Specific Feedback: Encourage a culture of constructive feedback. Feedback should be specific, actionable, and delivered in a timely manner to maximize its impact. 
• Psychological Safety: Create a safe space where team members feel comfortable offering and receiving feedback without fear of judgment or retribution.
• Focus on Development: Frame feedback as an opportunity for growth and development, not punishment. Effective, constructive feedback helps team members improve their skills and contribute more effectively to the team.

By addressing these key areas within your rules of engagement, you’ll be laying the foundation for a thriving, high-performing team. 

Champion Rules of Engagement as a Leader 

Leaders who operate with a clear sense of purpose aren’t just steering the ship; they’re inspiring the crew. By actively embodying purpose, they create a ripple effect that empowers their teams.  The rules of engagement you establish serve as a powerful tool to translate that purpose into actionable behaviors and a thriving team environment.

Here’s how leaders can act as purpose champions, using the rules of engagement as a springboard:

• Vision with Conviction: Articulate a clear and inspiring vision that goes beyond just profits. This vision should connect to something larger than yourselves, something that ignites a passion and a sense of meaning in your team members. Embed this vision within the rules of engagement, outlining how daily practices and communication styles contribute to achieving this larger goal.
• Leading by Example: Live the team’s core values and embody the behaviors outlined in the rules of engagement. Your actions speak louder than words, and your commitment to purpose will inspire your team to follow suit. 
• Empowering Ownership: Don’t micromanage – empower your team to take ownership of their roles and responsibilities. The rules of engagement should clearly define roles and expectations, but also leave room for individual initiative and problem-solving within those parameters.
• Celebrating Purpose-Driven Wins: Recognize and celebrate achievements that align with your team’s purpose. This reinforces the connection between their efforts and the bigger picture, keeping motivation high. Use the rules of engagement as a framework for identifying and celebrating wins that demonstrate progress towards your shared goals.

By embracing rules of engagement, leaders become champions for purpose, inspiring and propelling their teams towards a shared vision of success.

Discover the Power of Human Potential Through Purposeful Engagement

Crafting meaningful rules of engagement is just the first step in building a high-performing team. The true power lies in ongoing reinforcement and adaptation. Regularly revisit your team’s needs and embrace a growth mindset, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Remember, successful teams are built on human connection.  Move beyond simple transactions and focus on fostering genuine relationships. Celebrate individual and team wins, both big and small. Recognize and reward not just results, but the effort, collaboration, and creativity that drive those results.  

By nurturing a purpose-driven environment built on trust, respect, and open communication, you’ll discover your team’s true potential. The result? A high-performing unit that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision of success. Remember, effective leadership is not just about managing; it’s about inspiring, engaging, and empowering your team.

Maren Perry is a guest contributor to the Leadership Circle blog. You can learn more about their organization at Arden Coaching.