What is a core team? — it's about showing up

This post is the 5th in a series on agile chartering inspired by Diana Larsen and Ainsley Nies' book, Liftoff. The first three posts address artifacts related to Purpose. The 4th post dives into Alignment and introduces simple rules. This post will continue exploration of Alignment with a focus on the core team.

The core team — informed, inspired and attracted

The core team is the people who show up every day. The individuals who make up the core team show up because they are inspired and attracted by the team's purpose and each has something to contribute that requires collaboration with their fellow core team members every day.

In a healthy product ecosystem, the core team is born of and emerges from this spark of purpose. The act of chartering Purpose provides key information that helps individuals self-identify as core team members.

Ultimately, the core team is responsible for delivering on the team mission, that is, the team's unique contribution to the product vision. Delivery on the team's mission takes the form of crafting, executing and passing external-facing mission tests, those that directly impact the customer's experience. An individual identifies as a core team member when their daily contribution is essential to passing the current mission tests. You'll know that you have the right core team when they can routinely pass these tests.