Eleanor Jones Ngala Setting Expectations WORKING TOGETHER AGREEMENT

Eleanor Jones Ngala

Setting Expectations WORKING TOGETHER AGREEMENT Five Steps

Why a Working Together Agreement? STEP ONE • A shared vision • More empowering than having a facilitator set out 'rules' for everyone • Members are more likely to respect and implement an agreement that they have contributed to • Refer back to the agreement in problematic times or to avoid conflict

Building a Working Together Agreement STEP TWO • Ask a question like: • What things would make this group work well for you? • What makes this a safe and respectful place for us all? • How do we need to ‘be’ together to get the best outcomes? • What do we need to agree on to work together? • Group Members can respond in several ways, e. g. : • Call out points which are written on a whiteboard or butchers paper for everyone to see • Write thoughts on a post it note and group them together on the wall (Cluster Map) • Members talk in pairs and then feed this back to the whole group.

Building a Working Together Agreement STEP TWO - Example • The facilitator can scribe on a whiteboard or butchers paper

Building a Working Together Agreement STEP TWO - Example Cluster Map from WA My. Time Facilitator Training

Clarification and Consensus STEP THREE Check clarification by going through the list one by one • Ask how each point can be turned into practical ways of working. For example: • “It's alright to disagree" - how would this work practically? You could add ". . . by challenging what a person says, not attacking the person themselves. “ • Or Confidentiality as this is quite vague and facilitators will need to discuss what each member understand by it and what level of confidentiality they expect from the group. • Finally you need to check for consensus on all the points from the whole group.

Bringing it all Together • STEP FOUR • With the group: • The Group will be part of the whole process • Allows the group to personalise the Agreement and ‘make it their own’ • Could be incorporated into an art activity • Without the group: • An option if not enough time in group sessions • Can be done electronically • Will need to be passed or approved by the group

Bringing it all Together STEP FOUR - Examples Electronic version of a Working Together Agreement Electronic ‘Cluster Map’ Working Together Agreement

Bringing it all Together STEP FOUR - Examples Working Together Agreements that have been personalised to the group

Living Document • STEP FIVE • Display the Agreement for everyone to see • Refer back to the agreement (e. g. “We all agreed in the Working Together Agreement that it's best if only one person speaks at a time”) • Review with the group members often • Introduce to new members, ask for input and seek verbal agreement • Can start over as group evolves and regular members change