How to Facilitate Working Agreements

Time needed: 45-60 minutes (depending on the length of discussions and team size)

Materials: Sticky notes, markers, shared board (physical or digital) potentially designed based on the Working Agreement Canvas

The facilitation follows three steps: 1) generate ideas individually, 2) consolidate without debate, 3) surface and resolve disagreement and get to agreement.

Step 1: Generate Ideas (5-10 minutes)

The goal here is getting individual thinking on paper before group dynamics take over. This prevents the loudest voice or the manager from setting the agenda.

Silent Brainstorming

Give everyone sticky notes and 3-5 minutes of complete silence. Each person writes down specific behaviors or practices that would make the team's work smoother. One idea per sticky note.

The prompt matters. Frame it as problem-solving, not aspiration: "What slows us down or creates friction right now, and what would fix it?"

Alternative: Frustration Mining

Use this variation when the team needs permission to be honest about what's not working. Change the prompt: "Write down the top 3 things that slow us down or create friction in our current way of working. Be specific about the behavior, not the person."

Step 2: Consolidate Ideas (10-20 minutes)

You now have many sticky notes. The goal is clustering similar ideas and eliminating redundancies without losing the group in endless discussion.

Bingo Facilitation

One person volunteers to go first. They read their first sticky note aloud and place it on the board.

If anyone else has the same or very similar idea, they yell "Bingo!" and discard that sticky note. The first person continues until they've shared all their unique ideas.

Next person comes up and does the same.

• Move quickly. Don't let people debate whether two ideas are similar enough. If the person thinks it's a match, take the bingo.
• Why this works: Bingo facilitation turns redundancy elimination into a game. People listen actively to call bingo rather than zoning out.

Alternative: Silent Affinity Clustering

Use this when you have 30+ ideas or a team that prefers less performative interaction. Everyone simultaneously and silently moves sticky notes into groups that seem related on the board. No talking.

Step 3: Get to Agreement (10-20 minutes)

This is where most facilitations fail. Teams either rush through or get stuck in endless debate. You need a structured mechanism to lock in commitment.

Roman Voting

Since the agreements are already visible from the previous step, do not waste time re-reading them. Simply ask the team to look at the board and call for a simultaneous vote on the entire set of agreements.

• Thumbs up: I agree and will follow these.
• Thumbs down: I have concerns that prevent me from committing to these.

Critical Tip for Leaders: If you have authority over the team, vote last or hold your hand close to your chest until the reveal. If the boss shoots a "Thumb Up" immediately, the team will self-censor. Don't anchor the vote.

Handling the "Thumbs Down"

When you see a Thumb Down, stop immediately. Ask that person to specify which agreement is the blocker and articulate it in one of three categories:

1. "I have a clarifying question..." (Answer it, then re-vote)
2. "I have a specific concern..." (Modify the agreement to address it, then re-vote)
3. "Something is missing..." (Add the missing element, then re-vote)

Facilitation Rule: The "Kill" Switch

Do not let one contentious item derail the entire session. If a specific agreement creates a deadlock or cannot be resolved quickly, remove that item entirely.

It is better to start with fewer, unanimous agreements than to include contentious ones that people will ignore. Let the team experience the implication of not having that agreement. If the lack of that rule causes pain (friction), the team will naturally ask to add it during your next 30-day review.

Organizing with the Canvas

After you have your consolidated and agreed-upon behaviors, take 5 minutes to sort them into the five canvas areas: Meetings, Communication, Conflict, Decisions, Work Practices. If a category is empty, ask: "Is this because we're aligned, or because we haven't thought about it?"