Summary & Resources

Treat working agreements like the operating system for your team's work. Keep them lean, keep them specific, keep them current. The goal isn't perfect agreements; the goal is reducing friction so the team can focus on actual work instead of constantly negotiating basic coordination.

Resources

This framework is built on principles from behavioral psychology, lean manufacturing, and high-performance management.

On Mechanisms vs. Intentions

• The Source: The 2008 Amazon Shareholder Letter by Jeff Bezos
• The Concept: This is the origin of "Good intentions don't work, mechanisms do." It explains why trying harder never solves a process failure.
• Companion Read: Atomic Habits by James Clear - specifically the concept: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

On Facilitation & Voting

• The Source: Liberating Structures (specifically "1-2-4-All")
• The Concept: The "Silent Brainstorming" and "Bingo" methods are variations of "Brainwriting." Research consistently shows that individuals generating ideas before group discussion produces higher quality and volume than open brainstorming.
• Roman Voting (Decide Pattern): Used to force binary clarity. It prevents the "head nod of doom" where people passively agree but secretly dissent.

On Trust & Enforcement

• The Source: The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson
• The Concept: Psychological Safety isn't about being nice; it's about being able to speak up about violations without fear of retribution. Your "Enforcement Protocol" is a tool to manufacture this safety.
• The Source: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• The Concept: Specifically the bottom two layers of the pyramid: Trust and Conflict. You cannot have commitment (Agreements) without the ability to engage in productive conflict (Enforcement).