The Performance Gap
In my 40-year career facilitating over 500 teams, I have found that even teams with clear goals and good intentions can still get stuck. They often lack a reliable structure for transforming their work processes and interpersonal behaviors.
The Decision-Maker in every teammate faces only two overarching choices when conflict arises:
- Stay in the “Lower Loop” of attack and defense.
- Move into the “Upper Loop” of accountability.
Work Agreements are the practical tool that ensures Right-Minded teammates make the “right” accountable choice to find solutions.
A Global Success Story: The Power of Proof
One Field Operations team I facilitated experienced a total turnaround by committing to their Agreements. By choosing Reason over Ego-based bickering, they achieved, within one year:
- 78% increase in teammate trust.
- 61% increase in compliance with decisions.
- $350,000 in measurable cost savings.
At the three-month mark, when they began to slip into old patterns, one teammate pulled out their Work Agreements and asked: “We’ve already agreed how to address this, haven’t we?” That was their Moment of Reason—the shift where a team stops being a victim of circumstances and starts owning its destiny. Here’s the full story.
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. There are two primary types:
- Process Agreements: These describe who does what. They define roles, responsibilities, and procedures.
- Behavioral Agreements: These describe how people will behave and resolve conflict, ensuring the team remains “Do No Harm, Work as One®” even under pressure.
Element #3: The Engine of the 5-Element Framework
In the RMT 5-Element Framework, Work Agreements are the third step. If the Business Goal (#1) is your destination and the Psychological Goal (#2) is your map, the Work Agreement is the engine that actually moves your team towards achieving those goals.
Ready to Build Your Team’s Engine?
The full, 10-step process for facilitating these agreements—including real-world examples and interlocking accountability templates—is detailed in my book.
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.