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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 (Common Purpose, Interdependence, Trust basis).

  2. Define Needs and Expectations (Level 2)
    Clarify roles, boundaries, communication norms, and how feedback will work.

  3. Design the Initial Operating Rhythm (Level 3)
    Agree on the first iteration of how decisions, planning, and coordination will happen.

Setup Mode Scripts: How to Sound Like an Architect

  • The "Why" Check: "Before we assign tasks, can we write down in one sentence why this group exists and what happens if we fail?"
  • The Role Check: "I know we have job titles, but for this specific project, who is the final decision maker on scope?"
  • The Pre-Mortem: "Imagine it's six months from now and we failed. What likely went wrong? Let's design against that now."

Setup Mode Activities

In Setup Mode, you are building the container.
Common activities include:

1. Chartering & Purpose Alignment

  • Drafting a team charter, working agreement, or partnership definition.
  • Explicitly stating the shared goal and the boundaries of the work.
  • Goal: Ensure Common Purpose and Shared Understanding (Matrix: Purpose × Understanding).

2. Role & Decision Mapping

  • Defining who is accountable for what (e.g., RACI or delegation poker).
  • Clarifying decision rights: "Who can say 'no'?" and "Who must say 'yes'?"
  • Goal: Ensure Distribution of Roles and Autonomy (Matrix: Roles × Autonomy).

3. Communication & Rhythm Design

  • Agreeing on tools, channels, and meeting cadences.
  • Defining "how we talk" (synchronous vs. asynchronous, formal vs. casual).
  • Goal: Ensure Communication and Feedback Loops (Matrix: Communication × Feedback).

4. Risk & Safety Agreements

  • Discussing "how we will handle bad news."
  • Establishing psychological safety by agreeing on how conflict will be managed.
  • Goal: Ensure Trust and Safety (Matrix: Trust × Safety).

The Charter Checklist: Are We Done?

You are ready to leave Setup Mode when you can answer YES to these 5 questions:

  1. [ ] Do we all agree on why we are here?
  2. [ ] Do I know what my role is and isn't?
  3. [ ] Do I know who decides what?
  4. [ ] Do we know how we will talk to each other?
  5. [ ] Do we have a way to signal if things go wrong?

Common Setup Errors

  • Skipping Level 1 (Purpose)
    Assuming everyone knows "why" and jumping straight to tasks/Jira.

  • The Phantom Agreement
    Nodding along to vague terms like "collaborate" or "support" without defining what they mean behaviorally.

  • Selecting frameworks too early
    Selecting frameworks, ceremonies, or tooling before foundations are clear (e.g., "Let's do Scrum" before knowing who the product owner is).

  • 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.