Please! It`s far from all there is to make deals, so go ahead and find out more! And if you like, share some Swissen in the comments ☺ Many of the teams I meet have some various agreements on the action. The groups best placed to have a short list and update it if needed. I visited a group that had a list of 20 team rules. It`s too many things someone remembers. And such a long list suggests another problem – probably that the group members had not developed a common language around the firms, and had very different mental models about how software development works. I don`t think every group should have a list of values, basic rules, group standards and simple rules. It is not a question of explicitly controlling all aspects of behaviour. I once visited a group that had a list of 20 basic rules. It is always interesting to see how and if the team members meet the standards of the group and individuals. So look at the rules posted, and then see how people really act. Cooperation and high performance are possible without explicit agreements.

However, it is much easier (and more likely) for a team to achieve high performance if it pays attention to the model it wants to create and uses these tools to shape the pattern. You can set the VA at the beginning of a project (Sprint 0) and check the list in retrospectives or if the team requests changes. You can also set the VA at meetings that make your job easier. Suppose you are working with a team you are not familiar with and they will allow, for example, a retrospective or training. The process of developing agreements executes (at least) three things: To keep the discussion on track, use facilitation techniques such as fist of five to reach consensus on all labour conventions. Work agreements are often used in the Agile context, but can be used by any team. Through the work agreement process, teams are given an increased awareness of the interaction between individuals. Teams are building a model of interaction and implicit understanding of what people can do, should, should not do, should not do, should not do, should not do. Patterns often form without thinking too much about the implications. Team standards are formed, where people are in a meeting or accept an acceptable late arrival and if someone has to bring cookies on Tuesday. In this video, Phil Gold explores the value of team agreements. Find out how the team, how it wants to work together, gets contributions in terms of cooperation so that everyone can be invested.

Save often and keep in mind that agreements can always be renegotiated, especially when new members join or situations change. Each new team has a strong dynamic, with individuals preferring a certain mix of behaviors and practices. Respect your uniqueness! Team standards and work protocols are essential for a team to perform. Unfortunately, few teams spend time defining work protocols as they describe them. Work agreements describe positive behaviours that are fundamental but often not automatically demonstrated in team processes. An agreement could be, for example: “We all agree to participate fully.” Agreements are the group`s instrument of power. The elements of the labour agreement should be made public throughout the team process. The goal of setting team standards is to build a culture of the ONE team, and that`s something to send it back when it gets rocky within the team.