Ground Rules

March 23, 2025
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What is Ground Rules?

Ground rules are clearly defined guidelines that outline acceptable behaviours, expectations, and norms for how team members should interact and work together during a project. These rules help establish a respectful and productive environment by setting the tone for communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, and accountability. Project teams often develop ground rules collaboratively at the start of a project to promote mutual understanding and prevent misunderstandings.

These rules support team alignment and foster a sense of ownership by setting clear boundaries and expectations. The team can tailor them to suit their or the organization’s specific needs, culture, and goals. Depending on the project’s size and complexity, these guidelines may be informal verbal agreements or formal written documents.

Key Points

  • These rules define expected behaviours and procedures for team interactions.
  • They promote a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative team environment.
  • Rules are most effective when created and agreed upon by all team members.
  • These rules help reduce conflicts by clarifying what is acceptable and what is not.
  • The team may revisit and adjust them as project needs or team dynamics change.

Related Terms

  • Team charter often includes ground rules to define the team’s purpose, roles, and working agreements.
  • Ground rules that support respectful and inclusive communication realize stakeholder engagement benefits.
  • Conflict resolution is smoother when teams refer to agreed-upon rules.
  • Project kickoff meeting is a typical time to establish and discuss ground rules.
  • Communication plan may reflect or reinforce the team’s rules to ensure consistency.

Ground Rules: Example

A project team begins a new software development project and agrees on several ground rules during the kickoff meeting. These include starting meetings on time, using respectful language during discussions, responding to emails within 24 hours, and ensuring that all voices are heard during decision-making. The team documents these agreements in a shared space and refers to them when addressing performance issues or disagreements.

Ground Rules: Best Practices

  • Involve the entire team in setting ground rules to encourage buy-in and accountability.
  • Make the rules specific, actionable, and easy to understand.
  • Review the rules regularly to ensure they remain relevant throughout the project.
  • Reinforce the rules through consistent application and modelling by leadership.
  • Address breaches of the rules promptly and constructively to maintain trust.

Additional Resources

Ground Rules - Understanding Team Roles and Responsibilities     Ground Rules - Human Factors in Project Management

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