joelparkerhenderson / ways-of-working
Ways of Working (WoW) is a phrase that summarizes how people collaborate, typically focusing on teamwork success. Ways of Working may be also known as working agreements, team arrangements, shared expectations, group understandings, and ground rules.
Ways of Working are guidelines that improve teamwork and communication. Ways of Working can define a team's set of expectations for participating, collaborating, and interrelating.
Ways of Working can include many kinds of description. For example, ways of working can include ground rules, aspirations, team values, team norms, working agreements, and more. We describe these below. These definitions are based on work by Esther Derby.
Ground rules are statements of how people need to behave, for specific times, places, and situations. Example: At our meetings, everyone has the opportunity to speak.
Aspirations are statements intended to guide interactions and decision making within the group, and also across other groups within the organization. Example: Every challenge is an opportunity to learn.
