The Awesome Team Canvas™

Imagine you’re playing football with star players on your side. Now, think about this: what happens if one player doesn’t know the goal? Another doesn’t pass the ball? And half the team doesn’t even show up on time?

Would you win the match? Probably not. You might have great players… but not a great team.

That’s exactly what happens in many workplaces. People are smart, talented, and hardworking but without alignment, communication, and trust, things fall apart. That’s where The Awesome Team Canvas™ comes in. A fun, visual, and practical way to help teams build shared purpose, clarity, and ways of working that actually work.

What Is The Awesome Team Canvas?

Think of it as a map for your team journey. A single page that helps your team answer three powerful questions:

Why we exist – What’s our shared purpose? What value are we creating?
What we do – What goals are we chasing? How do we define success?
How we work – How do we collaborate, communicate, and grow together?

These three simple questions unlock something magical. Because when everyone knows the why, the what, and the how - teams stop pulling in different directions and start moving as one.

Why Teams Need a Canvas (Not Just a Meeting)

Let’s use an analogy. If your team were a band, you’d need to agree on the kind of music you’re playing (purpose), decide which songs to perform (goals), and practice how to stay in rhythm together (ways of working). Otherwise, you’d have the guitarist playing rock, the drummer doing jazz, and the singer trying opera.

The Awesome Team Canvas™ is how you get everyone in tune. It helps the team see themselves not as a group of individuals, but as a coordinated, learning, and evolving system.

What Makes It “Awesome”?

Because it’s not just a form, it’s a facilitated experience. Here’s what happens when teams use the Awesome Team Canvas™:

They align on purpose. Everyone understands why they’re here and who they serve.
They clarify goals. No more confusion or “I thought you were doing that!” moments.
They define success. Teams create a shared Definition of Awesome (DoA)—what quality, pride, and excellence mean for them.
They agree on behaviors. Teams co-create working agreements, how to handle conflict, how to communicate, and how to make decisions.
They make personal promises. Each member writes one commitment—“I will ensure that…”—turning values into daily actions.

The Three Layers of the Canvas

1. Why We Exist

Every team needs a mission, their “superhero origin story.” It gives meaning to everyday work. Because typing code, designing slides, or managing tasks feels different when you know why it matters.

2. What We Do

This is your battle plan. What goals are we trying to achieve this quarter? How do we measure success? What makes our work awesome, not just done? It’s where big dreams meet small, concrete actions.

3. How We Work

This is your team’s culture code. It’s not about fancy words on walls; it’s about how you treat each other every day. Here, teams create Working Agreements - their rulebook for collaboration, safety, and respect.

Why It Works

Because teams change, people join, leave, grow, and shift. If you don’t stop and realign every few months, you drift. The Awesome Team Canvas™ is designed to be revisited quarterly, a rhythm to keep your team focused, connected, and learning. Every time you return to it, the canvas grows with your team, a living reflection of your progress, energy, and culture.

Want to Try It with Your Team?

Our Awesome Team Canvas™ Session is a 90-minute guided workshop that helps your team define their purpose, clarify goals, and build psychological safety.