In my 40-year career facilitating over 500 teams across seven countries, I’ve found that the most successful teams all share one defining characteristic: they live by clear, written Work Agreements.
Whether a team is in the heat of a conflict or simply struggling to be as effective as it needs to be, the Decision-Maker faces a choice. How do we close the gap between where we are and where we want to be?
Creating and following Team Work Agreements is the defining characteristic of successful teams. Work Agreements transform the Right-Minded Teamwork® Aspiration (Do No Harm & Work as One®) from a noble idea into a practical, daily reality for any team issue.
A “Moment of Reason”: A Global Oil Production Success Story
One year after establishing their Work Agreements, a Field Operations team for a major oil production company in the Gulf of Mexico experienced a total turnaround. Before RMT, the team was technically competent but plagued by adversarial behavior and frequent Ego attacks. Read the whole story in the book Reason, Ego & the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth!
By choosing Reason and honoring their Agreements for one full year, they achieved:
- 78% increase in teammate trust.
- 61% increase in compliance with decisions.
- 46% increase in mutual support.
- Over $350,000 in cost savings.
The Breakthrough
At the three-month mark, the team slipped back into old patterns of bickering. As their facilitator, I asked them to pull out their Work Agreements. One teammate looked at the document and realized, “We’ve already agreed how to address this, haven’t we?” That was their Moment of Reason—a shift in the mind where the team chooses accountability over victimhood.
What Are Team Work Agreements?
A Work Agreement is not a flimsy “ground rule.” It is a serious, emotionally mature promise to transform non-productive work behavior into a “Work as One” reality. They are suitable for any teamwork issue, whether interpersonal or process-related.
- Behavioral Agreements: These describe how people will behave, communicate, and resolve adversarial behavior. They set the interpersonal “path of Reason.”
- Process Agreements: These describe who does what. They define roles, responsibilities, and procedures to ensure the team is operating effectively.
The Anatomy of an Agreement
A well-written Work Agreement consists of an Intention Statement followed by Conditions for Acceptance.
- Example Intention: “Each teammate will appropriately communicate thoughts and feelings.”
- Example Condition: “If a teammate is acting in an adversarial way, we will respectfully call it to their attention.”
Why Work Agreements Are Essential
In my 40-year career facilitating over 500 teams, I have learned that Work Agreements are essential for any team that desires to be “Right-Minded.”
Work Agreements work because:
- They address any issue: From simple process improvements to deep personality clashes.
- They provide a “Reason-led” map that guides the team’s behavior every single day.
- They shift accountability from the leader to the entire team.
- They protect the Aspiration of Do No Harm, ensuring the team remains “Work as One” united even under pressure.
Your Next Steps
You don’t have to settle for an ineffective team or tolerate adversarial behavior. You can guide your team to their own Moment of Reason.
Ready to take the next step? To help you implement this tool today, I have made the complete facilitation manual available. It contains the exact 10-step process, real-world examples, and interlocking accountability templates I have used with teams for decades.
Get the eBook Package: How to Facilitate Team Work Agreements
As a retired facilitator, my special function is now to support your journey. If you have questions about implementing these tools in your team, please reach out.
May Oneness be With You & Your Teammates 🙏
Dan Hogan, Certified Master Facilitator
P.S. New here? You can learn more about my 40-year mission to help teams Do No Harm and Work as One® on my About Page.
