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Setup Mode – Design & Preconditions

Setup Mode is the architectural stance of HCS.

It focuses on what must be true before we start cooperating, so that the system does not begin with hidden “cooperation debt.”

Where the Core Model defines what cooperation requires,
Setup Mode asks:

“Given this specific context and people,
how do we make those requirements explicit and agreed before work begins?”

Setup Mode is about designing preconditions and expectations, not about fixing existing problems.

When Setup Mode Is Active

You are in Setup Mode when:

  • A new collaboration is forming (project, initiative, partnership, team).
  • An existing collaboration is being significantly redefined (new scope, new leader, new vendor, major restructuring).
  • A previous collaboration was effectively reset, and you are consciously rebuilding.
  • People are asking questions like:
  • “Who is actually responsible for what?”
  • “How will we decide and escalate?”
  • “What does ‘success’ mean for each side?”
  • “What is in and out of scope for this relationship?”

If the system already shows recurring friction, conflict, or fatigue, you are likely beyond pure Setup and closer to Stabilization or Reset.
Setup Mode works best before problems accumulate.

Core Objectives of Setup Mode

Setup Mode has three primary objectives:

  1. Establish Preconditions (Level 1)
    Make the foundational conditions of cooperation explicit and shared:
  2. Why we are cooperating together (Common Purpose).
  3. How we depend on each other (Interdependence).
  4. How we will communicate (Communication).
  5. What trust will be based on (Trust).

  6. How we expect change and uncertainty to be handled (Change / Uncertainty).

  7. Define Core Cooperative Needs (Level 2) in This Context
    Translate abstract cooperative needs into concrete agreements:

  8. What Shared Understanding looks like in practice.
  9. What Mutual Commitment means for each party.
  10. Which Feedback Loops we will rely on.
  11. How roles and responsibilities will be distributed.

  12. Where autonomy is desired and where constraints are necessary.

  13. Select an Initial Cooperation Shape
    Decide where to encapsulate and where to integrate:

  14. Which work can be modularized with clear contracts and handoffs.
  15. Which work requires shared sense-making and joint decisions.
  16. How boundaries, decision rights, and interfaces will be defined.

The outcome of Setup Mode is a shared cooperation design – not just a scope statement or project plan.

Core Model Focus in Setup Mode

Setup Mode works mainly on Levels 1 and 2 of the Pyramid, with a light touch on Level 3:

  • Level 1 – Preconditions for Cooperation
  • Clarifying purpose for all parties.
  • Making interdependence visible, not assumed.
  • Choosing communication channels and rhythms.
  • Stating the basis of trust (what we will rely on each other for).

  • Agreeing how change will be handled, not just how to proceed if all goes well.

  • Level 2 – Core Human Needs for Cooperative Work

  • Agreeing what “enough Shared Understanding” means before starting.
  • Making Mutual Commitment explicit and reciprocal.
  • Defining Feedback Loops early (what we will measure, how we will talk about it).
  • Outlining Distribution of Roles and how this will evolve.

  • Naming where Autonomy & Agency are required and where they are constrained.

  • Level 3 – Cooperative System Functions (lightly)
    Setup Mode does not fully design all functions, but it should:

  • Decide how Problem Discovery will happen (who frames the problem and how often).
  • Sketch how Planning & Prioritization will be shared between parties.
  • Agree on basic Monitoring & Feedback mechanisms (rhythms, data, conversations).

Setup Mode respects the Level Rule by not jumping directly to practices at Level 4.
Method choices and tools can be deferred until the foundations are clear.

Extended Dynamics in Setup Mode

Setup Mode is also the moment when Extended Conditions and Extended Needs can be addressed before they become invisible “politics” later.

Common Extended Conditions to consider:

  • Contextual:
  • What constraints, risks, or pressures are already shaping this cooperation?

  • What is the wider organizational or market context?

  • Relational:

  • What prior history exists between the people or organizations involved?

  • Are there existing alliances, expectations, or unresolved tensions?

  • Structural:

  • Where are the natural gatekeepers (access, decisions, resources)?

  • How will other teams or departments indirectly affect this cooperation?

  • Developmental:

  • Is this a first-time collaboration or a repeated pattern?
  • What has been learned from similar past efforts?

Common Extended Needs to surface:

  • Purpose & Direction:
  • What does “success” look like for each side?

  • What hidden objectives (career, strategy, reputation) might be present?

  • Trust & Safety:

  • What would make this cooperation feel safe or unsafe?

  • How will we raise concerns without causing unnecessary escalation?

  • Autonomy & Coherence:

  • Where does each side need freedom, and where do we need tight alignment?
  • How do local choices remain coherent with the overall purpose?

Setup Mode is the best time to name these topics explicitly, before they crystallize into unspoken assumptions.

What to Prioritize in Setup Mode

In Setup Mode, prioritize:

  • Clarity over speed
    Spend effort on shared understanding of purpose, constraints, and expectations.

  • Integration where it matters
    Decide which parts of the work require shared sense-making, not just handoffs.

  • Realistic commitments
    Make commitments that reflect constraints, risks, and interdependence, not idealized plans.

  • Explicit boundaries
    Define who decides what, where the edges of responsibility are, and how to handle overlap.

  • Early feedback channels
    Commit to how you will detect misalignment or emerging friction and how you will respond.

What to Avoid in Setup Mode

Avoid:

  • Rushing to practices and tools (Level 4)
    Selecting frameworks, ceremonies, or tooling before foundations are clear.

  • Assuming alignment on purpose
    Treating a shared project label or contract as proof of shared meaning.

  • Ignoring extended dynamics
    Pretending politics, history, or power asymmetries do not exist.

  • Over-encapsulation
    Designing everything as a clean interface when some areas clearly require integration.

  • Over-promising and back-loading risk
    Agreeing to outcomes and timelines that depend on assumptions you have not tested or discussed.

Mode Transitions

Typical transitions into Setup Mode:

  • New initiative, engagement, or partnership.
  • Major change in scope, leadership, or environment that makes the old design obsolete.
  • Entering Reset Mode and deciding to rebuild.

Typical transitions out of Setup Mode:

  • Into Stabilization Mode, once work starts and real-world friction appears.
  • Into Growth Mode, if early cooperation is smooth and foundations prove robust.

Unhealthy patterns:

  • Skipping Setup Mode entirely and jumping straight into execution.
  • Treating Setup as a one-time ceremony instead of something that can be revisited when context or assumptions change.

Summary

Setup Mode gives cooperation a deliberate starting shape.
It does not guarantee the absence of problems, but it ensures that:

  • when problems appear,
  • they appear against a clear, shared baseline
  • rather than inside a fog of unspoken expectations.