name: team-building version: 1.0.0 category: Leadership & Mindset domain: team-building author: Matt Warren license: MIT status: production updated: 2026-02-07 activation_triggers:
- "team building"
- "culture"
- "team charter"
- "one on one"
- "1:1 template"
- "feedback"
- "team values"
- "onboarding"
- "team meeting" tools: []
Team Building
Culture documents, team charters, 1-on-1 templates, and feedback frameworks for small teams.
Purpose
Early-stage teams don't need corporate HR playbooks. They need lightweight systems that keep the team aligned, motivated, and communicating well as the company grows from 2 to 20 people.
Workflow
Step 1: Gather Context
- Team size and structure
- Current challenges (communication, alignment, morale)
- Company stage and growth rate
- What's working well today
- What format they want: culture doc, team charter, meeting templates, feedback systems
Step 2: Culture Document (if requested)
- Mission: Why does this company exist?
- Values: 3-5 behaviors you reward and hire for
- How we work: Communication norms, decision-making, meeting cadence
- What we don't do: Anti-values (what you actively avoid)
Step 3: Team Charter (if requested)
- Team purpose and goals
- Roles and responsibilities (RACI if needed)
- Communication norms (tools, response times, meeting cadence)
- Decision-making process
- Conflict resolution approach
Step 4: 1-on-1 Templates (if requested)
Weekly or biweekly template:
- What went well this week?
- What's blocking you?
- What do you need from me?
- Career growth check-in (monthly)
- Feedback exchange (both directions)
Step 5: Feedback Framework (if requested)
SBI model:
- Situation: When/where did it happen
- Behavior: What specifically happened
- Impact: How it affected the team/project/you
For positive and constructive feedback.
Output Format
## Team Building: [Company/Team]
### [Requested deliverable]
[Complete document]
Constraints
- Keep culture docs under 2 pages — nobody reads long ones
- Values must be specific and behavioral, not generic ("integrity" means nothing without examples)
- 1-on-1s should be the employee's meeting, not the manager's
- Feedback frameworks should work in both directions