Complete firstPerspectives
Everyone notes working hours, focus time, feedback preferences, and current friction. The lead drafts at most communication and escalation questions, not finished rules.
Use individual preparation and a joint decision.
Method guideAgile
Working Agreements
A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.
ComplexityLow
Time45-90 min
Participants3-12
FormatWorkshop
MaturityCanonical
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstAgreement
Make existing rules visible, collect personal preferences silently first, and adopt only agreements the team can concretely try.
Add a trigger and observable behaviour.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Shared document or board, individual work preferences, current friction examples, channel overview, and calendar.
People / roles
Whole team · facilitator · team lead as participant, not sole author · rotating agreement owner
Pre-read
Everyone notes working hours, focus time, feedback preferences, and current friction. The lead drafts at most communication and escalation questions, not finished rules.
Time needed
10 minutes of preparation and about 60 minutes for the first agreement; then ongoing use and regular reviews.
Setup
Make existing rules visible, collect personal preferences silently first, and adopt only agreements the team can concretely try.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
Which observable agreements help this team collaborate reliably and respectfully?
04
Flow
Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall
Working Agreements make implicit ways of working visible. The team gathers individual needs, writes observable rules, and decides how to adapt them later.
Working agreements
Fictional example
Fictional agreements for a distributed product team.
Hours and focus
When are we available, when do we protect focus, and which exceptions apply?
Core overlap 10:00–15:00; no internal meetings 09:00–11:00 except incidents.
Communication channels
Which channel serves which purpose and what response is expected?
Board for work status; chat for coordination within one working day; phone only for production incidents.
Feedback and decisions
How do we give feedback and where are decisions recorded?
Critical feedback directly first; decisions with context in the decision log.
Blockers and escalation
When and to whom do we escalate?
Mark a blocker after four working hours; escalate to Team Lead and Product after one working day.
Review
When and through what process do rules change?
Review in six weeks and additionally after onboarding or reorganisation.
The examples are starting points for joint negotiation.
- 1
Context
Bound friction
Goal
Bounded friction situations: Make current collaboration, occasion, and observed friction visible.
Inputs for this step
- Everyone notes working hours, focus time, feedback preferences, and current friction. The lead drafts at most communication and escalation questions, not finished rules.
Actions
- Make current collaboration, occasion, and observed friction visible.
Output
Bounded friction situations
Bounded friction situations
Quality check
Are friction points described as concrete situations without judging people?
Pitfall
The session opens with a list of difficult people instead of observable situations. Return to “Bound friction” and repeat this method step: Make current collaboration, occasion, and observed friction visible.
Timing: 10 minutes
- 2
Perspectives
Gather needs
Goal
Visible work preferences: Record individual hours, communication, and feedback preferences separately.
Inputs for this step
- Bounded friction situations
Actions
- Record individual hours, communication, and feedback preferences separately.
Output
Visible work preferences
Visible work preferences
Quality check
Could everyone contribute work conditions and feedback preferences independently?
Pitfall
More vocal members define the norm before others share preferences. Return to “Gather needs” and repeat this method step: Record individual hours, communication, and feedback preferences separately.
Timing: 10 minutes
- 3
Rules
Write observable norms
Goal
Observable team rules: Turn needs into clear “we” rules with trigger and expected behavior.
Inputs for this step
- Visible work preferences
Actions
- Turn needs into clear “we” rules with trigger and expected behavior.
Output
Observable team rules
Observable team rules
Quality check
Does each rule name a trigger and observable behaviour?
Pitfall
Rules say be respectful or respond quickly without defining behaviour. Return to “Write observable norms” and repeat this method step: Turn needs into clear “we” rules with trigger and expected behavior.
Timing: 15 minutes
- 4
Escalation
Clarify interfaces
Goal
Communication and escalation path: Agree channels, response rules, decision ownership, and escalation path.
Inputs for this step
- Observable team rules
Actions
- Agree channels, response rules, decision ownership, and escalation path.
Output
Communication and escalation path
Communication and escalation path
Quality check
For urgent and non-urgent cases, are channel and escalation path clear?
Pitfall
Everything is urgent and every request lands in the same channel. Return to “Clarify interfaces” and repeat this method step: Agree channels, response rules, decision ownership, and escalation path.
Timing: 15 minutes
- 5
Maintenance
Plan review
Goal
Reviewable agreement: Set review date, change path, and response when an agreement cannot be kept.
Inputs for this step
- Communication and escalation path
Actions
- Set review date, change path, and response when an agreement cannot be kept.
Output
Reviewable agreement
Reviewable agreement
Quality check
Can the team change rules that no longer work, and is the next review scheduled?
Pitfall
Agreements remain unchanged after new members or changed working conditions. Return to “Plan review” and repeat this method step: Set review date, change path, and response when an agreement cannot be kept.
Timing: 10 minutes; recurring later
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Sketch: what the artifact looks like
Form
Living working-agreement document with observable rules, communication channels, escalation path, exceptions, owner, and review rhythm.
Versioning / ownership
Version the reviewable agreement with date, owner, source state, and review date. Preserve earlier observations and append changes with their reason.
Tool alternatives
- Shared document for preferences, rules, and exceptions
- Inventory of communication channels actually in use
- Review calendar and trigger list for unscheduled changes
working-agreements-checklist.md
Plan the initial agreement, use, and review with clear ownership.
Working Agreements: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Complete run Time: 10 minutes of preparation and about 60 minutes for the first agreement; then ongoing use and regular reviews.
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: Shared document or board, individual work preferences, current friction examples, channel overview, and calendar.
- Roles: Whole team · facilitator · team lead as participant, not sole author · rotating agreement owner
- Advance information: Everyone notes working hours, focus time, feedback preferences, and current friction. The lead drafts at most communication and escalation questions, not finished rules.
- Overall time needed: 10 minutes of preparation and about 60 minutes for the first agreement; then ongoing use and regular reviews.
- Setup: Make existing rules visible, collect personal preferences silently first, and adopt only agreements the team can concretely try.
Prepare for the work steps
Context: Bound friction
- Everyone notes working hours, focus time, feedback preferences, and current friction. The lead drafts at most communication and escalation questions, not finished rules.
Perspectives: Gather needs
- Bounded friction situations
Rules: Write observable norms
- Visible work preferences
Escalation: Clarify interfaces
- Observable team rules
Maintenance: Plan review
- Communication and escalation path
Working agreements
Hours and focus
When are we available, when do we protect focus, and which exceptions apply?
...
Communication channels
Which channel serves which purpose and what response is expected?
...
Feedback and decisions
How do we give feedback and where are decisions recorded?
...
Blockers and escalation
When and to whom do we escalate?
...
Review
When and through what process do rules change?
...
Collect personal preferences, then agree on a few observable rules for a trial period.
Atlassian Working Agreements · original teaching example
Context: Bound friction
Expected artifact: Bounded friction situations
Bounded friction situations
Entry:
...
- Are friction points described as concrete situations without judging people?
Perspectives: Gather needs
Expected artifact: Visible work preferences
Visible work preferences
Entry:
...
- Could everyone contribute work conditions and feedback preferences independently?
Rules: Write observable norms
Expected artifact: Observable team rules
Observable team rules
Entry:
...
- Does each rule name a trigger and observable behaviour?
Escalation: Clarify interfaces
Expected artifact: Communication and escalation path
Communication and escalation path
Entry:
...
- For urgent and non-urgent cases, are channel and escalation path clear?
Maintenance: Plan review
Expected artifact: Reviewable agreement
Reviewable agreement
Entry:
...
- Can the team change rules that no longer work, and is the next review scheduled?
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/working-agreements/run-sheet
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.
working-agreements-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional teaching example: Working agreements
Hours and focus
Core overlap 10:00–15:00; no internal meetings 09:00–11:00 except incidents.
Communication channels
Board for work status; chat for coordination within one working day; phone only for production incidents.
Feedback and decisions
Critical feedback directly first; decisions with context in the decision log.
Blockers and escalation
Mark a blocker after four working hours; escalate to Team Lead and Product after one working day.
Review
Review in six weeks and additionally after onboarding or reorganisation.
The examples are starting points for joint negotiation.
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow
- Bound frictionThe session opens with a list of difficult people instead of observable situations.View in phase
- Gather needsMore vocal members define the norm before others share preferences.View in phase
- Write observable normsRules say be respectful or respond quickly without defining behaviour.View in phase
- Clarify interfacesEverything is urgent and every request lands in the same channel.View in phase
- Plan reviewAgreements remain unchanged after new members or changed working conditions.View in phase
Trap
Bound friction
Symptom
The session opens with a list of difficult people instead of observable situations.
What to do
Return to “Bound friction” and repeat this method step: Make current collaboration, occasion, and observed friction visible.
Trap
Gather needs
Symptom
More vocal members define the norm before others share preferences.
What to do
Return to “Gather needs” and repeat this method step: Record individual hours, communication, and feedback preferences separately.
Trap
Write observable norms
Symptom
Rules say be respectful or respond quickly without defining behaviour.
What to do
Return to “Write observable norms” and repeat this method step: Turn needs into clear “we” rules with trigger and expected behavior.
Trap
Clarify interfaces
Symptom
Everything is urgent and every request lands in the same channel.
What to do
Return to “Clarify interfaces” and repeat this method step: Agree channels, response rules, decision ownership, and escalation path.
Trap
Plan review
Symptom
Agreements remain unchanged after new members or changed working conditions.
What to do
Return to “Plan review” and repeat this method step: Set review date, change path, and response when an agreement cannot be kept.
08
Stop criteria
When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach
Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Are friction points described as concrete situations without judging people?
Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Could everyone contribute work conditions and feedback preferences independently?
Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Does each rule name a trigger and observable behaviour?
Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: For urgent and non-urgent cases, are channel and escalation path clear?
Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Can the team change rules that no longer work, and is the next review scheduled?
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