---
title: Team handbook
slug: team-handbook
icon: {"faIcon":"fa-solid fa-book-bookmark"}
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-05-08T14:07:53.839Z
---

Use this page as a template for your team’s internal handbook. Capture how your team works, communicates, and makes decisions so new and existing members have a clear, consistent reference.

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Review and update this handbook regularly; internal processes evolve, and your documentation should evolve with them.
:::

## What’s included in this handbook

This page provides a foundation for documenting your team’s culture and operational norms. Customize each section as needed:

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**Mission and values**
Define what your team stands for and how you work.
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**Roles and responsibilities**
Clarify ownership and expectations across key roles.
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**Communication guidelines**
Outline how your team collaborates effectively.
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**Ways of working**
Document rituals, workflows, and collaboration rhythms.
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**Policies**
Summaries of essential internal policies.
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## Mission and values

Clarify your team’s purpose and the principles that guide how you work. This helps create alignment and sets expectations for behavior and decision‑making.

## Roles and responsibilities

List the major roles on your team and what each is accountable for. Keep descriptions short and outcome‑focused.

| Role            | Responsibilities                             |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Product manager | Defines requirements, prioritizes roadmap.   |
| Engineer        | Builds and maintains product functionality.  |
| Designer        | Creates user experiences and visual designs. |
| Support         | Assists customers and reports issues.        |

## Communication guidelines

Provide guidance on how your team communicates effectively:

- Preferred communication channels
- Expected response times
- Meeting expectations and etiquette
- When to escalate issues

## Ways of working

Describe the workflows, rituals, and collaboration patterns your team follows. Examples:

- Stand‑ups or weekly syncs
- Code reviews or pair programming
- Planning or retrospective processes
- Decision‑making frameworks

## Policies

Document any important internal policies, such as:

- PTO and holidays
- Security guidelines
- Access and permissions
- Development or coding standards

## What to read next

Help teammates explore related internal documentation:

- [Engineering docs](docId\:F7L6Z71MnR6RB72kObx7Y) – Architecture, development workflows, and runbooks
- [Onboarding checklist](docId\:HFxTrNxWva_E4_TnBt6W9) – Steps for new teammates
- [Decisions (ADR template)](docId:8hUiGD0OjVInUPUf21X7j) – How your team records key decisions

Customize this handbook to reflect your real team culture and processes.