In schools, the journey toward deep collaboration often hinges on one crucial element: team norms. These norms help articulate how team members agree to interact, fostering trust, inclusivity, and a collaborative culture. But who says establishing and reinforcing norms has to be boring?
In this blog, we explore fun and creative ways to bring team norms to life—ideas that have been tried and tested in schools to make meetings both productive and enjoyable.
Why Norms Matter
Team norms create a foundation for collaboration. They help clarify expectations, reduce misunderstandings, and create a safe space for critical conversations. When norms are clear, teams can focus on meaningful dialogue, even when tackling challenging topics.
However, just listing norms on an agenda or posting them on the wall isn’t enough. The real impact comes from living those norms consistently, and making that process enjoyable can be a game-changer.
Fun Ways to Reinforce Norms
1. Meet “Norm”
One school introduced a meeting role called "Norm," drawing inspiration from the beloved sitcom Cheers. Using a light-hearted video reel of Norm from the show, they kicked off meetings with humor.
Image accessed from https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/19053/cheer...
Norm’s job was to monitor one selected norm during the meeting. If the norm was violated, they’d press a Staples Easy Button, which says, "That was easy." For example, if the team was focusing on staying within their locus of control and someone strayed off topic, Norm would press the button. The result? Laughter, a quick course correction, and no hard feelings.
2. Gamify It
Make norms fun by turning them into mini-competitions:
- “What If” Challenge: Assign someone to count how many times team members use solution-focused phrases like "What if?" or "I wonder if…" Reward the team or individual who uses the most.
- Bingo or Elastics: Distribute bingo chips or elastics to team members. Each time they follow a norm—such as committing to an action—they place a chip in the center or move an elastic to the other wrist. Set a team goal, like filling the center with chips, to track progress together.
3. Highlight Positivity
Dedicate one team member to note positive examples of a norm in action, such as staying solution-focused or valuing everyone’s input. At the end of the meeting, the “Chameleon” (a hidden observer) shares highlights, and the team guesses who it was.
Alternatively, provide sticky notes with "I appreciate…" at the top. Throughout the meeting, team members can write down and share specific moments when someone embodied a norm. Access a template to use for this activity.
4. Team vs. Team Challenges
Set up friendly competition between groups. For example, if one norm is staying strengths-based, challenge teams to identify the most "what if" ideas. Celebrate the winning team with a small prize—or simply the satisfaction of victory.
Why It Works
Fun activities like these reinforce essential behaviors. Teams that enjoy their time together tend to collaborate more effectively, reaching levels of productivity and innovation that aren’t possible alone.
By embedding fun into your norm-reinforcement strategies, you’ll not only help your team stay aligned but also foster a positive and uplifting culture.
Share Your Ideas
Have you tried creative ways to bring norms to life in your team? We’d love to hear from you! Share your stories and strategies—we’re always looking for new ways to help teams thrive. Connect with us at or .
And remember, the most effective collaborations are the ones where we can smile, laugh, and accomplish amazing things together.
Unpacking Team Norms: Strengthening Collaboration and Fostering Growth
Are you still using Google docs, spreadsheets and One Note to record your meeting docs?
Join Jennifer as she walks through the Collaborative Team Meeting process in WeCollab, ensuring that multiple student profiles are updated with the determined supports and actions simultaneously through the collaborative conversation and that staff remain informed through transparent communication processes.