Ground rules—or team norms—are agreed-on formal that guide the behaviour of a team’s members, including how they want to be treated and agree to treat others. Ground rules help teams maintain order, promote positive behaviour, and can be used to correct undesirable actions.

Assignment
1. Divide your class into teams.
2. Using the list below, have each team member silently select 10 behaviours they believe are most critical for a team’s success. The first list of 10 behaviours (each person’s A list) should consist of those most important for group conduct. The second list of 10 behaviours (each person’s B list) should consist of those that are desirable.
3. Next, have the members of your team select a final list of 10 behaviours from both lists. These will become your team’s ground rules. The items can be modified or combined to meet your team’s specific needs.