Team Poster

Have the team leader present an overview of their prompts:

What is this team’s purpose?
How do we fit into the broader vision?

Each team member should provide at least one example of how this resonates to them, and what is still unclear. You can collaborate silently on your Team Poster document, or go around the room to update verbally. If your team is hybrid or remote, use a brainstorming document where everyone can collaborate simultaneously. Dedicate 1-2 minutes per team member during the meeting call to share examples virtually. The goal is to make sure that everyone has a shared understanding of the overall purpose of the team. No passes allowed!

If you haven’t already, document this team’s purpose at the top of your page:

Hello! We are [team name]. We are a [type of team] and our purpose is to [team purpose]. We have a vision of [broader vision].
 

For example: Hello! We are the content team. We are a delivery team and our purpose is to tell stories that align with the product’s mission to make meal planning easier for every parent. We have a vision of becoming experts in making every family happy and healthy.

Include links at the top of the page to your team directory listing, project, and goals in Atlas. As you move through each section of the page, feel free to add links to any existing research or prior work done. You will continue to add to this living document as your team delves deeper into the work.

Now your team will discuss each of the below questions to build the story of what your team is seeking to achieve, for whom, why, and how you’re going to go about it. Spend a short amount of time on each. Rather than getting stuck by going deep on each topic, set the timer and get through the whole picture in a low fidelity as a first draft. This is a living document - so you can return to flesh out each category.

Start by considering the core problems that your team is seeking to solve. For example, are you looking to reduce customer service response times? Do you want to increase the speed of your platform?

Then, layer on the why. Why do your customers or the business care about solving this problem? For example, is it so that they can get back to doing their best work? Is it so that they can enjoy the product they have purchased as intended? You will layer in more business outcomes in step 6.

Who are you looking to serve? We have a suite of Plays that can help you to gain a Shared Understanding of your customer as a team; try running a Customer Interview, creating a Customer Journey Map, Empathy Mapping, or ideally creating an Experience Canvas.

What business and experience metrics will let you know that you have been successful? How will you know that you are on track? Try our Team Goals, Signals, and Measures Play to refine your success criteria. Lead with SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This will guide your strategy and help you measure success from project to project.

What solutions do customers currently have access to that this team creates or supports? What does BAU (Business As Usual) look like for your team? Analyze: are these solutions effective? What customer feedback have you received so far?

What is your strategic direction for the next year? Are there specific milestones or events that are being targeted? What tactics do you have in mind to achieve your goals? This context is crucial in helping build understanding on why certain work is being prioritized over other opportunities.

How often does your team get the same questions repeatedly? Do you Have a complex dependency structure with another team, or recently take on a new remit? Capture your frequently answered questions in a dedicated section.

Finish the page by documenting how teams can get in contact with you, such as your open Slack channel, Atlas directory listing, Jira Service Desk, or Form. Identify roles and responsibilities across the team so others know who to contact for what and when. Your engineering lead shouldn't be getting flogged by questions about design strategy, and your customer experience strategist shouldn't field questions on project management.

Bonus points for completing Working Agreements and adding your regular meetings and rituals to the page with links to the agendas and minutes.