I was in a coaching program where the first small group meeting started with each of us saying whether we agreed to some specific agreements for the program. It took about two minutes, and made a big difference for me.

Our agreement was implied by signing up, but there was something special about verbally committing to the other people in the small group.

We’re not signing on to an impersonal legal agreement, we’re committing to Josh, Coach #2, and Coach #3 that we’re going to follow through on every point.

The facilitator read a bullet point and asked everyone who agrees to raise their hand and then confirmed that everyone did so before moving on to the next point.

What might that idea look like if we apply it to the example agreement from yesterday?

• I agree to show up consistently and be present with the other coaches in our group.
• I agree to participate in peer coaching to challenge and be challenged in a kind, constructive, and collegial way.
• I agree to hold all conversations, business details, and challenges confidential and not discuss them outside this Mastermind without express permission from everyone affected.
• I agree to commit to this Mastermind from now through the end of the year (6 sessions).

For each bullet point, we could ask the group “Can we count on you to do that? If you’re ready to commit, raise your hand”. Then we could wait until everyone’s hand was raised before moving on to the next point.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the secret sauce that makes agreements work: Co-creation.

Josh