Group/lab guide for new students and post-docs: what should it contain?
You can find a lot of good examples on the web, written by professors with a lot more experience, but here is mine.  It includes guidelines and advice on:


How to approach group meetings and individual meetings with advisor (me)
Finding a thesis topic
Planning and recording research
Reading the literature
Writing papers
Publishing papers
Giving talks
Programming
Recommended software tools
General conduct