Agreements Together

 

Recognizing the impact of ego, strong personalities, balance-of-power issues, and such things, we start each client workshop with a series of “agreements together.” 

Some may call them “ground rules,” but we don’t like the energy implied by the term “ground rules.” We prefer the two words “agreements” and “together” because both words are positive, and they have an active choice implied in them—“we choose to agree, together.”

1) Be on time and honor agenda time limits

 

2) Don’t multitask with your personal devices — be present in THIS room

 

3) Part of the workshop is lecture, part contains participatory exercises

 

4) During the lecture portions please demonstrate active listening

 

5) During the participatory exercises:

• Listen to understand (and not to respond)

• Speak to be understood (use “I” statements)

• Find and act on what’s right, what’s positive, and what’s common ground

• Put the elephant on the table – be forthright and candid about what is blocking progress

 

6) Keep calm and don’t boil the ocean

 

7) Take the situation seriously, but not yourself…

• We’ll focus on “What’s Right” not “Who’s Right”

 

8) The more you put in, the more you get out!