How to use the template
Bring the team together and discuss the questions below. Do not try to create a rule for every possible situation. Focus on the coordination problems that repeatedly cost the team time or create friction.
1. Decisions
- Which decisions need one clear owner?
- Which decisions require input from the team before the owner decides?
- Which decisions need specialist validation?
- How will we make it clear when a decision is final?
- What kinds of decisions are reversible enough to move quickly?
Write the agreement
We decide by...
For example: “The named owner makes the final call after getting input from the people directly affected. High-cost or hard-to-reverse technical decisions require specialist validation before we move.”
2. Ownership
- What does it mean to own a responsibility in this team?
- When should an owner involve others?
- When should an owner escalate?
- What should happen if ownership is unclear?
Write the agreement
Ownership means...
For example: “The owner is responsible for moving the work forward, making the next decision within the agreed boundary and asking for help before a blocker becomes a surprise.”
3. Communication
- What information should be written down?
- What belongs in a meeting rather than a message?
- What response time can colleagues reasonably expect?
- Where will final decisions and important context live?
Write the agreement
We communicate by...
For example: “Important decisions are written down with the owner, reason and next step. Urgent questions use the agreed urgent channel. Everything else can wait until normal working time.”
4. Feedback and disagreement
- How directly do we want to challenge an idea?
- When should feedback be given immediately and when should it wait?
- How do we distinguish disagreement with the work from criticism of the person?
- What do we do when disagreement is not resolved?
Write the agreement
We challenge and give feedback by...
For example: “Challenge the issue directly and explain the reason. Once the owner has heard the relevant input and makes the call, we support the decision unless new information materially changes it.”
5. Context and autonomy
- What context does everyone need before work starts?
- Where do people need different levels of context?
- Where can an owner move independently?
- When do we need a check-in rather than waiting for the final output?
Write the agreement
We balance context and autonomy by...
For example: “The owner gets the purpose, decision boundary and constraints up front. Inside that boundary, the owner can move without asking for repeated permission.”
Finish with the five-line version
Compress the discussion into a short list:
- Decisions: ...
- Ownership: ...
- Communication: ...
- Feedback: ...
- Context and autonomy: ...
Review it when the team changes
Revisit the agreement when a new manager joins, responsibilities move, the team grows or a recurring problem shows that the current rule is not helping. A working agreement is a coordination tool, not a constitution.