For millennia humans have watched birds, bats, and butterflies soaring. We longed for the weightlessness of flight. Yet, we stayed earthbound. Eventually, we learned about the effects of gravity and, more, how to overcome them. Now we defy gravity with a rocket liftoff at the start. Rockets give humans the force to overcome gravitational pull and boost ourselves skyward.

Through a Liftoff, formal and informal leaders set a tone for collaboration, learning, and performance. At the beginning of a team-based effort, weight keeps team members earthbound. Lacking a clear, common purpose adds weight. Unclear communication channels and expectations add weight. Undefined working relationships and lack of trust add weight. Vague understanding of business strategy fit adds weight. Many other areas of ambiguity add to the team’s burden. How can they overcome this gravitational pull? How can they become “weightless” and produce successful delivery? Leaders make space to inform, inspire, and align their teams.

All kinds of creative work teams need leader support for that initial boost — a liftoff. A liftoff creates a force that overrides inertia. It dispels the burden. It creates the momentum that moves a team on the trajectory to successful high value delivery. During a Liftoff everyone associated with the product (or service) vision comes together. It’s  an unexplored, often ignored, yet critical, startup practice.

In this interactive workshop, Diana Larsen describes an essential Liftoff component as we examine the critical elements of team chartering. We share stories of chartering real-life teams, and explore possible designs you might apply.