← Back to blog

Working Agreements: Rules the Team Chooses to Follow

working-agreements collaboration culture

Working Agreements are rules the team defines for itself on how to work together. They are not imposed by management — they are commitments the team agrees to follow.

Why Working Agreements Matter

Without agreements, each member follows their own rules:

  • One makes 800-line PRs, another makes 50-line ones
  • One reviews PRs in 10 minutes, another in 2 days
  • One writes tests, another doesn’t
  • One is available at 9 AM, another at 11 AM

Agreements create consistency without bureaucracy.

Examples of Common Agreements

Communication

  • “We respond to team messages within 4 business hours.”
  • “Urgencies are handled by phone call, not by message.”
  • “Daily starts on time. If you’re late, you owe coffee (symbolic).”

Code Quality

  • “PRs have a maximum of 400 lines.”
  • “Every PR has at least 1 approval before merge.”
  • “Unit tests for all new business logic.”
  • “Zero lint warnings are blocking.”

Process

  • “Definition of Done is taken seriously — incomplete is incomplete.”
  • “Carry-over is discussed in the retrospective, blame-free.”
  • “Technical spikes have a maximum timebox of 2 days.”

Estimates

  • “We use Planning Poker for every item > 3 points.”
  • “If we disagree, we discuss before averaging.”
  • “Items without estimates don’t enter the sprint.”

Hours and Availability

  • “Core hours: everyone available between 10 AM and 3 PM.”
  • “Vacation is communicated 2 weeks in advance.”
  • “We don’t expect responses outside of work hours.”

Meetings

  • “All meetings have an agenda and a timebox.”
  • “Daily: maximum 15 minutes.”
  • “If there’s no agenda, attendance is optional.”

How to Create Working Agreements

Initial Workshop (1 Hour)

  1. Individual brainstorm (10 min) — each person writes what they’d like the team to agree on
  2. Share (20 min) — group similar themes together
  3. Vote (10 min) — each person votes on the 5 most important
  4. Define (15 min) — write down the 5–7 most voted agreements
  5. Publish (5 min) — put them on the board, README, or wiki

Quarterly Review

Every 3 months, the team reviews:

  • “Which agreements are we following?”
  • “Which agreements are hurting us?”
  • “Do we need new agreements?”

Golden Rules

Maximum 7 Agreements

More than that, nobody remembers. Focus on what matters.

Agreements Must Be Verifiable

Bad: “Let’s be more collaborative.” Good: “PRs are reviewed within 4 hours.”

Agreed by the Team, Not Imposed

If the manager imposes it, it’s a rule. If the team decides, it’s an agreement. The difference in commitment is enormous.

Clear Consequences

If an agreement exists and is not followed, what happens?

  • “If PRs aren’t reviewed within 4 hours, we discuss the reason in daily.”
  • “If meetings have no agenda, we decline them.”

Conclusion

Working Agreements are the team’s “social contract.” When well-defined and followed, they reduce friction, improve quality, and create predictability. 5–7 verifiable agreements, defined by the team, reviewed quarterly. Simple and powerful.