gh-lyndonkl-claude/skills/alignment-values-north-star/resources/template.md

Alignment Framework Template

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track your progress:

Alignment Framework Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Draft North Star and core values
- [ ] Step 2: Create decision tenets for common dilemmas
- [ ] Step 3: Define observable behaviors
- [ ] Step 4: Add anti-patterns and usage guidance
- [ ] Step 5: Validate with quality checklist

Step 1: Draft North Star and core values

Write 1-2 sentence North Star (where we're going and why) and 3-5 core values with specific definitions, why they matter, what we optimize FOR, and what we de-prioritize. Use Quick Template structure and Field-by-Field Guidance for details.

Step 2: Create decision tenets for common dilemmas

Identify 5-10 real trade-offs your team faces and write "When X vs Y, we..." statements. See Decision Tenets guidance for format. Include specific reasons tied to values and acknowledge merit of alternatives.

Step 3: Define observable behaviors

List 10-15 specific, observable actions across contexts: meetings, code/design reviews, planning, communication, hiring, operations. See Observable Behaviors for examples. Focus on what you could notice in daily work.

Step 4: Add anti-patterns and usage guidance

Document 3-5 behaviors you explicitly DON'T do, even when tempting, and explain which value they violate. Add practical guidance for using framework in decision-making, hiring, onboarding, performance reviews. See Anti-Patterns section.

Step 5: Validate with quality checklist

Use Quality Checklist to verify: North Star is memorable, values are specific with trade-offs, decision tenets address real dilemmas, behaviors are observable, usable TODAY, no contradictions, 1-2 pages total, jargon-free.

Quick Template

Copy this structure to create your alignment framework:

# {Team/Organization Name} Alignment Framework

## Context

**Why this matters now:**
{What triggered the need for alignment? Growth, conflict, new direction?}

**Who this is for:**
{Team, organization, function - be specific}

**Last updated:** {Date}

---

## North Star

{1-2 sentences: Where are we going and why?}

**Example formats:**
- "Build {what} that {who} {value proposition}"
- "Become the {superlative} {thing} for {audience}"
- "{Action verb} {outcome} by {approach}"

---

## Core Values

### Value 1: {Name}
**What it means:** {Specific definition in context of this team}

**Why it matters:** {What problem does honoring this value solve?}

**What we optimize for:** {Concrete outcome}

**What we de-prioritize:** {Trade-off we accept}

### Value 2: {Name}
{Same structure}

### Value 3: {Name}
{Same structure}

*Note: 3-5 values is ideal. More than 7 becomes unmemorable.*

---

## Decision Tenets

When making decisions, we:

**When choosing between {X} and {Y}:**
- ✓ We choose {X} because {specific reason tied to values}
- ✗ We don't choose {Y} even though {acknowledge Y's merit}

**When facing {common dilemma}:**
- ✓ Our default is {approach} because {value}
- ⚠ Exception: When {specific condition}, we {alternative}

**When prioritizing {work/features/initiatives}:**
- 🔴 Critical: {what always gets done}
- 🟡 Important: {what gets done when possible}
- ⚪ Nice-to-have: {what we explicitly defer}

*Include 5-10 decision tenets that address real trade-offs your team faces*

---

## Observable Behaviors

**What this looks like in practice:**

**In meetings:**
- {Specific behavior that demonstrates value}
- {Specific behavior that demonstrates value}

**In code reviews / design reviews:**
- {What comments look like}
- {What we praise / what we push back on}

**In planning / prioritization:**
- {How decisions get made}
- {What questions we ask}

**In communication:**
- {How we share information}
- {How we give feedback}

**In hiring:**
- {What we look for}
- {What's a dealbreaker}

**In operations / incidents:**
- {How we respond to problems}
- {What we optimize for under pressure}

---

## Anti-Patterns

**What we explicitly DON'T do:**

- ✗ {Behavior that violates values} - even when {tempting circumstance}
- ✗ {Common industry practice we reject} - because {conflicts with which value}
- ✗ {Shortcuts we don't take} - we value {what} over {what}

---

## How to Use This

**In decision-making:**
{Practical guide for referencing these values when stuck}

**In hiring:**
{How to interview for these values, what questions to ask}

**In onboarding:**
{How new teammates should learn these values}

**In performance reviews:**
{How values factor into evaluations}

**When values conflict:**
{Which value wins in common scenarios, or how to resolve}

---

## Evolution

**Review cadence:** {How often to revisit - typically annually}

**Who can propose changes:** {Process for updating values}

**What stays constant:** {Core elements that shouldn't change}

Field-by-Field Guidance

North Star

Purpose: Inspiring but specific direction

Include:

• Who you serve
• What value you create
• What makes you distinctive

Don't:

• Be generic ("be the best")
• Use corporate speak
• Make it unmemorable

Length: 1-2 sentences max

Test: Can team members recite it from memory? Does it help choose between two good options?

Examples:

Good:

• "Build developer tools that spark joy and eliminate toil"
• "Make renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels for every market by 2030"
• "Give every student personalized learning that adapts to how they learn best"

Bad:

• "Achieve excellence in everything we do" (generic)
• "Leverage synergies to maximize stakeholder value" (jargon)
• "Be the world's leading provider of solutions" (unmemorable, vague)

Core Values

Purpose: Principles that constrain behavior

Include:

• Specific definition in your context
• Why it matters (what problem it solves)
• Trade-off you accept
• 3-5 values total

Don't:

• List every positive quality
• Be generic (every company has "integrity")
• Ignore tensions between values
• Go beyond 7 values (unmemorable)

Structure for each value:

• Name (1-2 words)
• Definition (what it means HERE)
• Why it matters
• What we optimize FOR
• What we de-prioritize (trade-off)

Examples:

Good - Specific:

• Bias to action: We'd rather ship, learn, and iterate than plan perfectly. We accept some rework to get fast feedback. We optimize for learning velocity over getting it right the first time.

Bad - Generic:

• Excellence: We strive for excellence in everything we do and never settle for mediocrity.

Good - Shows trade-off:

• User delight over enterprise features: We prioritize magical user experiences for individuals over procurement-friendly enterprise checkboxes. We'll lose some enterprise deals to keep the product simple.

Bad - No trade-off:

• Customer focus: We care deeply about our customers and always put them first.

Decision Tenets

Purpose: Actionable guidance for real decisions

Include:

• "When choosing between X and Y..." format
• Real dilemmas your team faces
• Specific guidance, not platitudes
• 5-10 tenets

Don't:

• Be abstract ("choose the best option")
• Avoid acknowledging trade-offs
• Make it too long (unmemorable)

Format:

When choosing between {specific options your team actually faces}:
- ✓ We {specific action} because {which value}
- ✗ We don't {alternative} even though {acknowledge merit}

Examples:

Good:

When choosing between shipping fast and perfect quality:
- ✓ Ship with known minor bugs if user impact is low
- ✗ Don't delay for perfection
- ⚠ Exception: Anything related to payments, security, or data loss requires high quality bar

Bad:

When making decisions:
- Always do what's best for the customer

Observable Behaviors

Purpose: Concrete manifestation of values

Include:

• Specific, observable actions
• Examples from daily work
• Things you could notice in a meeting
• 10-15 behaviors across contexts

Don't:

• Be vague ("communicate well")
• Only list aspirations
• Skip the messy details

Contexts to cover:

• Meetings
• Code/design reviews
• Planning
• Communication
• Hiring
• Operations/crisis

Examples:

Good:

• "In code reviews, we comment on operational complexity and debuggability, not just correctness"
• "In planning, we ask 'what's the simplest thing that could work?' before discussing optimal solutions"
• "We say no to features that would compromise reliability, even when customers request them"

Bad:

• "We communicate effectively"
• "We make good decisions"
• "We work hard"

Anti-Patterns

Purpose: Explicit boundaries

Include:

• Common temptations you resist
• Industry practices you reject
• Shortcuts you don't take
• 3-5 clear anti-patterns

Format:

✗ {Specific behavior} - even when {tempting situation}
  Because: {which value it violates}

Examples:

Good:

• "✗ We don't add features without talking to users first - even when executives request them. Because: User delight > internal opinions"
• "✗ We don't skip writing tests to ship faster - even when deadline pressure is high. Because: Reliability > shipping fast"

Bad:

• "✗ We don't do bad things"
• "✗ We avoid poor quality"

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• North Star is memorable (could team recite it?)
• Values are specific to this team (not generic)
• Each value includes a trade-off
• Decision tenets address real dilemmas
• Behaviors are observable (not abstract)
• Someone could make a decision using this TODAY
• Anti-patterns are specific
• No contradictions between sections
• Total length is 1-2 pages (concise)
• Language is clear and jargon-free

Common Patterns by Team Type

Engineering Team

Focus on:

• Technical trade-offs (simplicity, performance, reliability)
• Operational philosophy
• Code quality standards
• On-call and incident response
• Technical debt management

Example values:

• Simplicity over cleverness
• Reliability over features
• Developer experience matters

Product Team

Focus on:

• User/customer value
• Feature prioritization
• Quality bar
• Product-market fit assumptions
• Launch criteria

Example values:

• User delight over feature count
• Solving real problems over building cool tech
• Data-informed over opinion-driven

Sales/Customer-Facing

Focus on:

• Customer relationships
• Deal qualification
• Success metrics
• Communication style

Example values:

• Long-term relationships over short-term revenue
• Customer success over sales quotas
• Honesty even when it costs a deal

Leadership Team

Focus on:

• Strategic priorities
• Resource allocation
• Decision-making process
• Communication norms

Example values:

• Transparency by default
• Disagree and commit
• Long-term value over short-term metrics

Rollout & Socialization

Week 1: Draft

• Leadership creates draft
• Test against recent real decisions
• Revise based on applicability

Week 2-3: Feedback

• Share with team for input
• Hold working session to discuss
• Incorporate feedback
• Ensure team authorship, not just leadership

Week 4: Launch

• Publish finalized version
• Present at all-hands
• Explain rationale and examples
• Share how to use in daily work

Ongoing:

• Reference in decision-making
• Include in onboarding
• Use in hiring interviews
• Revisit quarterly, revise annually
• Celebrate examples of values in action

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Vague North Star:

• Bad: "Be the best company"
• Good: "Build developer tools that eliminate toil"

Generic values:

• Bad: "Integrity, Excellence, Innovation"
• Good: "Simplicity over cleverness, User delight over feature count"

No trade-offs:

• Bad: "Quality is important to us"
• Good: "We optimize for reliability over shipping speed, accepting slower feature velocity"

Unmemorable length:

• Bad: 10 pages of values, tenets, behaviors
• Good: 1-2 pages that people can actually remember

Top-down only:

• Bad: Leadership writes values, announces them
• Good: Collaborative process with team input and ownership

Set and forget:

• Bad: Write values in 2020, never revisit
• Good: Annual review, update as team evolves