An Agreement For Results

Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Stewart Levine, http://www.resolutionworks.com

Better Business Management & Planning Practices

All productivity and all satisfying relationships result from collaborating with others. We do this by having agreements. Unfortunately most of us never learned what goes into a good collaborative agreement, so we don’t make our agreements explicit. Here’s a universal template you can use to create joint visions at home and at work. You’ll be amazed at how well it works in all situations. It’s simple... but not easy because you have to take the time to craft agreements before moving into action. Try it on for size and watch your results improve!

1. INTENT & VISION—Big picture of what you want. The clearer and more specific the desired outcomes, the more likely you will succeed as visualized.

2. ROLES—The duties, responsibilities, and commitment of everyone you need to achieve the desired results.

3. PROMISES—Promises of action steps. Specific commitments tell you if the actions will get you to the desired results, and the actions that are missing.

4. TIME / VALUE—All promises have “by whens” and the time the agreement will be effective. Is the exchange fair and does it provide enough incentive?

5. MEASUREMENTS OF SATISFACTION—The evidence that you achieved your objectives must be clear, direct, and measurable to eliminate conflict about whether you accomplished what you began.

6. CONCERNS AND FEARS—Unspoken difficulties need to be expressed and the fear behind them addressed. This deepens understanding of what you are taking on, and the partnership you are creating with yourself.

7. RENEGOTIATION—No matter how optimistic and clear it will become necessary to renegotiate promises and conditions of satisfaction because things change. The quality of working relationships is more important than anything.

8. CONSEQUENCES—Know the consequences for breaking promises, and what will be lost if the project is not completed.

9. CONFLICT RESOLUTION—Conflicts and disagreements will arise. Agree to an “attitude of resolution,” and an agreed resolution process.

10. AGREEMENT?—When you have reflected on 1-9, ask whether you “trust” moving forward. Do not move into action unless and until you can say YES and commit to embrace the future as an opportunity to be enjoyed.

The model draws out both the vision, and the road map to it. It provides a path to what you want to accomplish. Making agreements is an excellent way of producing more powerful collaborations in every aspect of your life!

Stewart Levine is the founder of ResolutionWorks. He spent ten years practicing law before becoming an award-winning marketing executive at AT&T where he was recognized as a pioneer "intrapreneur." He uses his approach to form teams and joint ventures in a variety of situations. He was recently named among the "Trend Setters" in the legal profession. His book "Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into Collaboration” (Berrett-Koehler 1998) was an Executive Book Club Selection; Featured by Executive Book Summaries; named one of the 30 Best Business Books of 1998; endorsed by Dr. Stephen Covey and featured in "The Futurist" magazine. “The Book of Agreement” was called “more practical than Getting to Yes” and named one of the best of 2003 by CEO Refresher. It has been endorsed by Mark Victor Hansen.
Check out ResolutionWorks.com for more information about Stewart and his work.

Return to Library of Business Information