The Book of Agreement: 10 Essential Elements for Getting the Results You Want

We all know of stories where businesses, families and communities went down the drain because the involved parties were locked into years of conflict. In this book, Stewart Levine provides an insightful framework and applications for resolutions that can be put to practice immediately; sort of a 15-Minute Gourmet Resolutions recipe book. A must read for anyone trying to get the most out of relationships.

Add this book to your shelf of most important references--like your dictionary and your "Windows for Idiots" guide--and consult it often. Your life, relationships, and career will improve immeasurably.Stuart Levine's first book "Getting to Resolution" is the best I've read on resolving conflict. I think I know a thing or two about agreements. So I read the review copy of this new book, supplied by his publicist, with mixed emotion. I know and love Stewart, we have the same publisher, I'm thrilled his great second book is out, and he taught me good stuff about resolving conflict (we also shared an excellent glass of Merlot last year in Santa Fe, but that's a story for another day). But, just what can Levine teach this veteran partnering consultant about making and keeping agreements?A thing or two, it turns out.Let's start with what's critical to learn if you don't already know it.Consider Levine's Principle #2, "We work and live in a 'sea' (context) of agreements." Do you realize all relationship behavior is governed by implicit or explicit agreements? Someone can't even push your hot-buttons unless you and they have established by implicit agreement that "those" buttons are indeed hot and that you will explode if they are tweaked in a certain way. And you know "Shhh, don't tell a soul"implicitly means "keep this to yourself as well as I'm keeping it to myself." Even a chain of command is full of implicit agreements about norms like who can and can't tell whom what to do, who can and can't evaluate another's performance, who can and can't make decisions, etc. If you've worked in one hierarchy, you pretty much can move from organization to organization and quickly grasp the nuances of the culture. Why? Because you understand, experientially, the sea of implicit agreements.You buy into, if not invent, these implicit agreements, and then live by them whether you like it or not. It's your own doing. So you might then consider Levine's Principle #3, "We never learned the essential elements of an effective agreement." I believe people clamor for control because they lack the learned power of agreement-making. It's much easier to just boss folks around. But it's far more powerful and rewarding to make what Levine calls "agreements for results." That's a lot of what TeamWisdom (a term from my work) is about.So what do you do? You learn the essential elements of an effective agreement, then put them to use. Repeat. Improve. Repeat. Improve. Levine shows you how.Just as he did in his first book, Levine gives us the foundation first and the practice second. He starts with the Basic Law of Agreement ("Collaboration is established in language by making implicit and explicit agreements"), then offers ten principles, and then ten elements of effective agreements. Elements include things like roles, time and value, measures of satisfaction, etc. Later in the book, he uses these ten elements to fashion templates and illustrate agreements for different situations

The Book of Agreement is profoundly simple yet extremely useful in its application to many varieties of situations/relationships requiring dependable and reliable solutions toward fullfilling significant goals.Stewart Levine's capacity to provide a means by which conflicts can be resolved, not only allows the reader the ability to do so for him/herself, but it also provides great insight into understanding (which is a wonderful gift).

Stewart Levine has given us a strategy for coming into alignment with all issues. The book is stunningly easy to read, the practices are simple - practical and useful. Dr. Audrey Reed, is the Author of Money ToolBox for Women and runs a consulting and seminar company.We use this all the time with our clients, in business and at home.

Step back, take a deep breath, and smile because Stewart Levine's The Book of Agreement will give you the tools to get what you want without causing conflict. Not only does he provide insights into new ways to think about relationships, but he also provides templates that you can use to create them. After reading Stewart's book you will be able to: 1. Negotiate with the people already in your life; 2. Set limits, boundaries and expectations with those people you meet or hire; 3. Bring to the fore hidden concerns that could undermine your relationships and contracts. I immediately applied it to my relationship with our housekeeper to create a cleaning schedule without stress. I used it to clarify trading relationships in my business