What are simple rules? — transforming values into actions

This post is the 4th in a series on agile chartering inspired by Diana Larsen and Ainsley Nies' book, Liftoff. The first three posts deal with creation and use of three charter artifacts under the Purpose charter element. These purpose-related artifacts are product vision, team mission, and mission tests. In this post, we'll shift our attention to the second charter element, Alignment, and introduce the first artifact under Alignment — simple rules.

Form an alliance

Charting alignment is about forming an alliance, that is, how people come together to accomplish a shared purpose. Simple rules, the first artifact under the chartering element Alignment, serve to guide both individual and team behaviors. All teams operate under a set of spoken or unspoken rules. In agile chartering, the team works together to create and make a few simple rules explicit.

Start with a shared value

To come up with a simple rule, the team starts by identifying a shared value such as “transparency”. This shared value sets a foundation upon which to build a simple rule. By itself, the word “transparency” might lead to different interpretations as to how this value comes to life. A simple rule built upon the value helps create a shared understanding by making clear how the value is expressed through team behavior.

Make the value actionable with a simple rule

Five simple Health rules

To make the shared value of transparency more tangible, the team creates the simple rule,

We are open and forthright in our communication within our team and with our stakeholders.

This simple rule tells a story of how transparency is promoted and experienced by the team and those around them. The lack of specific detail in the simple rule enables it to serve as a general guide to behaviors in different situations.

Keep the rules list short

Teams typically limit the number of simple rules to half a dozen or fewer. A limited set of rules is easier keep in mind making them more effective in practice.

What simple rules does your team used to guide their individual and group behaviors?