Safety in Team Building — The Contracting Process

The process of team building may be inhibited by feelings of personal risk and insecurity. The individual needs to feel safe before becoming an effective team member, and contracting can provide this safety. The “contract” is the system of rules defining acceptable behaviour between people, and two important components of the package are the “task” and “personal” elements. The whole contract must be discussed openly and carefully maintained as the team matures and changes.