Test a Shared-Task Plan for Two Weeks
Whena major change shifts a shared responsibility
Goal: test one adult shared-task arrangement that fits changed circumstances, then propose what should happen next. Window: two weeks after both people agree to a trial. 1. Choose one ongoing responsibility affected by the change. Write what needs to happen and what each person can reliably offer now. 2. Ask the willing co-owner to discuss one adjustment. Agree on who does which part, the scope, timing and a check-in; only start if you both agree. 3. Try the written arrangement for two weeks. Note what was completed, what was missed and what changed, without assigning motives. 4. Review your record, invite the co-owner to compare observations, and send your keep/change/stop proposal. Continuing or changing a shared arrangement still needs both people to agree. Finish after the trial, written review and delivery of your proposal; the other person's response is not required. If a safe, agreed trial is unavailable, mark the mission stopped and choose another route. A proposed plan is not a tested agreement.
Why it works
A new circumstance can leave an old division of work mismatched to what each person can do now. A short trial gives the people who share it something concrete to review.
Start tiny
Write one shared task whose terms may have changed.
What you’ll notice
You finish with a plan you actually tried, a record of what happened and a clear proposal for what comes next.
When it slips
If the conversation is unsafe, unwelcome or impossible, stop the direct-contact path. Mark the mission stopped and choose a trusted intermediary, appropriate service or another plan. If the trial is too heavy, shorten or change it together.
SafetyUse only with a person you can safely and willingly discuss responsibilities with. This card does not direct contact with an unsafe former partner.
Atlassian Team Playbook. Working Agreements. Read the source ↗ This is a two-week adult capacity-allocation experiment adapted from a practitioner collaboration method; it is not an RCT-tested transition protocol.
Challenge: A bounded mission with a clear finish. It can combine practices over days or weeks.
