Why we created a client charter - and how we did it

Each year, we host two in-person away days. With so many of us spread across the UK, it’s a great opportunity to come together – Teams on do not disturb - and focus on our company goals.

Back in June, during our summer away day, we took a step that felt both natural and ambitious: co-creating a client charter. Our goal was simple - to make sure the values that guide our internal culture and decision making also shape how we partner with clients. In essence, we wanted the way we work together as a team to mirror the way we build relationships externally.

Bringing ideas to life

The day was led by our Senior Management Team. Each of us took one of our values and shared what it means to us personally. It helped to set the tone for the day and bring our values to life - showing how they influence the decisions we make and the way we work every day.

After that, we worked in groups to explore three key questions for each value:

• What does this value look like in action with clients?
• What commitments can we make to clients under this value?
• What behaviours or phrases reinforce it?

Each group then shared their ideas with the rest of the team. The conversations were open, practical, and full of great examples of what “living our values” really looks like when we’re working with clients.

From conversations to commitments

After the away day, Nick and I brought all the group notes together on a Miro board. From there, we:

• Collated all the notes and ideas by value.
• Identified common themes across the teams.
• Turned those themes into tangible actions.
• Refined those actions into a draft charter.

This process helped us translate abstract principles into concrete commitments - the kind of things we can hold ourselves accountable to every day.

Shaping the final draft together

Once we had a draft, we opened it up to the whole company. Everyone was invited to leave comments directly on the Miro board, and we also hosted a drop-in session for anyone who wanted to ask questions or share more ideas.

During one of the session, Hayden suggested creating a client playbook - a living guide for our website that gives current and potential clients a clear view of how we approach projects, make decisions, and deliver results. The playbook is still in its early stages, but it’s designed to be practical, transparent, and always evolving.

The outcome

By the end of this process, we had a client charter that truly reflects who we are - not just our values, but the behaviours and actions that bring them to life with clients.