Conduct the Work Agreement Discussion

The purpose of the Work Agreement Discussion is to discuss and create a list of agreements on how you will work together on a project, assignment, or engagement. Be prepared in your consultative roles as facilitator, influencer, and coach to help your team easily overcome obstacles and resolve any questions or conflicts. Strive to identify concerns or differing ideas and resolve points of resistance.

Follow the process below for conducting the Work Agreement Discussion.

Propose Background of Meeting

• Review background of engagement/project.
• Review the purpose of the meeting.
• Review the agenda.

Facilitate Introductions

• Ask team members to share background, experience, and expertise in no more than one minute.
• Tell them that specific discussion around the project will take place later.
• Keep the process moving.

Establish the Business Goal(s) of the Project

• Ensure that all team members contribute.
• Create an overall business goal for the project that all team members can agree upon.
• If the business goal already exists, make sure team members still understand and agree with it.

Facilitate the Work Agreement Discussion

• Distribute and review the existing documentation.
• Check for questions and agreement.
• Review the topics to be discussed and goals for each.
• Ensure that all team members contribute.
• Discuss the selected topics and record the team's decisions using the Work Agreement Worksheet.
• Peel the Onion as needed to achieve a common understanding of issues.

Next Steps

• Identify open issues.
• Identify red flags.
• What additional information is required to complete the work agreement? From whom?
• Identify any concerns about goals, process or deliverables.
   

Once you have begun the Work Agreement Worksheet, click below to continue on to Document and Communicate that Work Agreement.