How to Ensure Your Team Agreements Drive Real Change - Six Quality Checks.

I have been re-looking at the checks we use for team agreements and making them clearer and more specific.

When I relooked at ours, I realised that one of ours does not pass one of the checks.?

One of the common mistakes I see in team agreements is statements about feelings and what a team values, without making it into a specific behaviour that you can see or here.?

One of our team agreements, inspired by Brene Brown, is:

‘We choose courage over comfort, and we do what we believe is right, not what is easy.’

I want to be courageous in my work, and do what is right, but what would you see when I do this?

Ideally you would have between 7-10 team agreements, if you have too many, they are hard to remember and live.

Statements should be ‘we’ statements, and in the present and not the future tense.

Here are the Six Quality Checks for Team Agreements.

1. Make It Observable: Can You See or Hear It??

?A good team agreement describes something that can be seen or heard in action. If a statement is about a feeling, belief, or value, it’s not yet a behaviour.??

Too vague: "We value psychological safety."??

Clear & observable: "We openly share concerns in meetings”.?

Quality check: Ask yourself, ‘Would an outsider be able to observe whether this behaviour is happening?’??

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2. Make It Specific: How Does It Happen???

Agreements should explain the ‘how’ so that team members know what’s expected.??

Too broad: “We communicate effectively."??

Specific & actionable: “We check for understanding by summarising key points before moving to the next topic in discussions."??

Quality check: Ask, ‘Could someone follow this as a clear guideline for action?’??

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3. Make It Free of Jargon: Is It Clear to Everyone??

Avoid abstract terms, jargon or buzzwords that can mean different things to different people.??

Too vague: "We foster inclusivity."??

Clear & practical: "We invite quieter voices into discussions by asking, ‘Does anyone who hasn’t spoken yet want to add something?”

Quality check: Ask, could a new team member understand exactly what this means without needing extra explanation???

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4. Make It Measurable: Could We Measure or Assess It???

?If an agreement can’t be measured or assessed in some way, it’s hard to know if it’s being followed.? This is especially important if you plan to use Confirmation Practices for individual reflection on how the team is living the agreements. It is important to avoid the word ‘regular’ as this could mean daily, weekly, monthly or annually.

Too ambiguous: "We give each other regular feedback."?

Measurable: "We schedule monthly peer feedback sessions where each person receives one area of strength and one area for growth."??

Quality check: Ask, ‘Could we gather feedback, track occurrences, or review whether this is happening?’??

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5. Make It About Team Behaviours (Not Just Individual Traits)??

Agreements should describe what the team does together, rather than putting responsibility only on individuals.??

Too focused on personal traits: "Team members should be resilient and adaptable."??

Team-based behaviour: "We review workload distribution every two weeks to ensure fairness and balance."??

Quality check: Ask, does this describe something the team does collectively, rather than just an individual expectation???

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6. Frame It Positively: What Should People Do???

Instead of focusing on what not to do, frame agreements in a way that guides positive action.??

Negative framing: "Don’t give negative feedback."??

Positive framing: "We give feedback with constructive suggestions and next steps."?

Quality check: Ask, does this statement tell people what to do rather than just what to avoid???

Final Quality Check: Test Your Statements??

?Here’s a quick checklist to review your team agreements:??

? Is it observable? (Can you see/hear it happening?)??

? Is it specific? (Does it describe how the behaviour happens?)??

? Is it jargon-free? (Would a new team member understand it?)??

? Is it measurable? (Could we track, assess, or review it?)??

? Is it team-focused? (Does it describe collective, not just individual, behaviours?)??

? Is it framed positively? (Does it guide action instead of just saying what not to do?)??

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If a statement fails any of these tests, refine it until it meets all six criteria.??

Creating effective agreements isn’t just about writing them down—it’s about making them actionable, clear, and easy to follow. If your team is already using agreements, take a moment to review them using these Six Quality Checks. If not, this is a great starting point for developing meaningful commitments that drive real change.??

How would you change ‘We choose courage over comfort and we do what we believe is right, not what is easy.’ to make it behavioural? How can we keep the spirit behind the sentence?

We behave in ways that reflect courage instead of comfort? Please share your ideas.

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