Working principles of Quarrow Data, a fictional data consultancy
Team principles slide with five sentences people can repeat
A team principles slide states how a team works in a few short sentences that people can remember and use to settle everyday decisions. This one sets out five working principles for Quarrow Data, a fictional data consultancy, each a single plain sentence that starts with a verb.
What is on the slide
- Eyebrow and title
- Team Principles, under a small eyebrow naming Quarrow Data and how the team works.
- Principles 01 to 03
- Answer the question the client asked. Show the number and where it came from. Ship a rough draft by Wednesday.
- Principles 04 and 05
- Write down every assumption. Delete the dashboard nobody opens.
When this is the right slide
Pick this slide when a team needs to agree a few working rules it can repeat in meetings, each one short sentence starting with a verb, presented with weight and no decoration.
What to swap it for
Takeaway: 4-Rule Manifesto. Use the four rule manifesto when there are four rules and each one needs a short sentence underneath explaining what it means in practice.
What this slide shows
The slide is set in the template's dark mode. A small uppercase eyebrow names Quarrow Data and how the team works, and the title Team Principles sits below it at display size. A short coloured rule leads into five numbered rows separated by hairlines. 01 Answer the question the client asked. 02 Show the number and where it came from. 03 Ship a rough draft by Wednesday. 04 Write down every assumption. 05 Delete the dashboard nobody opens. There are no icons, cards or explanations, only the numbers and the sentences, each between five and eight words. The numbers are filled in by the layout, so the order can change without renumbering by hand. The light type on a dark background gives the slide a different feel from the content slides around it, which marks it as a moment to stop and agree rather than a slide to read. Each principle is one line at this size, and none needs to wrap, which keeps the rhythm of the list even from the first row to the last.
When this is the right slide
Use a team principles slide at a team offsite, a new team's kickoff, the start of a big client program or in onboarding, when the aim is to agree a few rules that guide daily choices. It suits teams of five to fifty who work closely and make many small judgement calls. It is the wrong slide for company values that apply to thousands of people across different jobs, which need broader wording and often an explanation each, and the wrong slide for rules with legal weight, such as safety requirements, which belong on a checklist with evidence. For four rules that each need a sentence of explanation, the four rule manifesto layout gives that room. A principles slide is also useful when a team grows quickly. New hires pick up habits from whoever sits next to them, and those habits drift. Five written lines give every new person the same starting point and give team leads something specific to point to in feedback, such as the draft that went out on Friday instead of Wednesday.
How to adapt it
First, swap one principle for the team's current struggle, such as reply to client emails the same day, when the slide opens a quarter focused on that problem. Second, add the team's name and the date to the eyebrow when the principles are new, so people know the version they are looking at. Third, make a client facing version for a proposal, keeping only the principles a client would care about, such as showing where every number came from and writing down assumptions, and dropping internal ones. Keep each line under ten words, and if a principle needs a second sentence to make sense, rewrite it until it does not. Print the five lines on the wall of the team room or pin them in the team chat, so the slide is not the only place they live.
What makes this slide work
Every principle starts with a verb
Answer, show, ship, write, delete. Each sentence is an instruction someone can follow or break, which is what makes it useful in a meeting. A reviewer can say this draft does not show where the number came from, and point at line 02.
The lines are specific to this team
Ship a rough draft by Wednesday and delete the dashboard nobody opens could only come from a team that builds reports for clients. Specific lines are remembered, and they tell new starters more about the team's habits than any general value word.
Size and space carry the weight
Five statements set large on a dark slide, numbered 01 to 05 and separated by thin rules, with no icons or descriptions. The plain layout says these are commitments, and leaves the presenter to add the stories.
Questions people ask
How should team principles be worded?
As short instructions that start with a verb and could only belong to this team. Show the number and where it came from tells an analyst what to do on Monday; value transparency does not. Aim for four to ten words, and test each one by asking whether someone could break it.
How many principles should a team have?
Three to five. More than five and nobody can recall them in a meeting, which is when they are needed. This layout holds exactly five. If the team has eight candidates, vote, keep the five that settle the most arguments, and leave the rest in the team handbook.
What is the difference between principles and values?
Values describe what a group cares about, such as honesty or curiosity. Principles turn those into working rules, such as write down every assumption. A values slide suits a company wide audience; a principles slide suits a team that wants to change how it works day to day.
Should team principles have explanations on the slide?
Not on this one. The bold statement layout works because each line stands alone. Give the reason when presenting, with one example from real work, and put a short explanation of each principle in the speaker notes or a handbook page for people who join later.
When should a team review its principles?
Once or twice a year, or when the team changes size or type of work. Ask which principle was used most and which never came up. Replace the one that never came up. Principles that are not used in decisions become wallpaper, and the slide loses its point.
How do I present a team principles slide?
Read each line aloud, then tell one short story of a time it mattered, such as the dashboard that was deleted and nobody missed. Five stories take about five minutes. Close by asking which principle the team finds hardest to keep, which usually starts the most useful discussion.
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