When was the last time your Team revisited your working agreements? Does your Team even have working agreements? Here’s a gentle nudge to schedule a meeting and set some 2022 expectations.
What are working agreements
A set of guidelines created by the Team that sets expectations for the shared working environment. It’s a collaborative exercise that’s meant to create open communication.
Why working agreements matter
Having a set of working agreements that the entire Team created and agreed upon helps set the Team up for success. Expectations are clear, misunderstandings will be eliminated, and they can be referenced in case of conflict.
Examples of what to include in working agreements
- Work hours and expectations around taking time for childcare and running errands
- Camera use on video calls
- Preferred method of communication and expected response time
- Office hours and expectations around in-person meetings
- How to manage interruptions on calls
How to reset working agreements
Pull out your current list of working agreements and go through item by item to see what can stay and what needs to be revisited. This is especially important if Team Members have changed over since the last working agreement. If you haven’t changed working agreements since the start of the pandemic, be sure to include items about camera expectations, revised working or office hours, communication expectations, and leniency around interruptions.
