Agreements

5		any number		Communication
minutes		people

What you can learn

This sets a tone and expectations near the start of a session. It helps the attendees know what the boundaries of the session are, and what behaviours are acceptable.

What you need

It is best to have each agreement on a card and to go through them near the start of the session.

How to do this

Decide which agreements are appropriate for your audience and meeting. Explain them clearly and simply near the start of the session.

You can also ask participants if there are any agreements they would like to add.

How we’ve used this

We change these depending on the session we’re running. Over time you will learn more techniques and so this list will keep evolving.

Here are some of the cards we have:

• Take Care: Take care of your own needs. You don’t need to ask permission to go to the bathroom, or get coffee.
• Cellphones: Keep your phones on silent please. If you need to take a call, just leave the room. We’d rather you were paying attention than worrying because your boss/wife/child is calling.
• Right to Pass: You have the right to pass in any activity or exercise we do. Just sit to the side and observe.
• Workbooks: These are yours to keep. Please take notes. We will let you know when we are doing specific exercises in the books.
• Timeboxing: We give a specific end time for each break. We will start at that time whether you are back or not. It’s up to you to choose to be on time or not.

Who shared this with us

Various people over the years, many from Sharon Bowman. We came up with the concept of using cards to remember all of the things we wanted to say.