# Module 03: Alignment & Signoff

**Get stakeholders aligned and secure commitment before starting the project**

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## Overview

This module teaches you how to create alignment around your idea and secure formal commitment from stakeholders before diving into detailed project work.

**Time:** 55-75 minutes  
**Prerequisites:** Module 02 completed (WDS installed)  
**When to use:** Optional - Use when you need stakeholder alignment (consultant → client, business → suppliers, manager → stakeholders)  
**What you'll create:** Alignment document (pitch) and signoff document (contract/service agreement/signoff)

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## What You'll Learn

- **The discovery discipline** - how to understand their outcomes before proposing solutions
- **The two-meeting approach** - separate discovery from solution presentation
- **Professional patience** - the carpenter measures twice, the doctor diagnoses first
- How to ask discovery questions that reveal what success looks like for them
- Creating a compelling alignment document that gets everyone on the same page
- Negotiating and iterating until stakeholders accept
- Generating appropriate signoff documents (external contracts or internal signoff)
- When to skip this module (if you're doing it yourself)

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## Module Structure

### [Lesson 1: Understanding Alignment](lesson-01-understanding-alignment.md)

**Time:** 10 minutes

- Why alignment matters before starting work
- **The discovery discipline**: Understanding before solving
- **Professional patience**: The carpenter measures twice, the doctor diagnoses first
- The 6 elements of alignment (Idea, Why, What, How, Budget, Commitment)
- Different user scenarios (consultant, business owner, manager/employee)
- When to skip alignment (doing it yourself)

### [Lesson 2: Creating Your Alignment Document](lesson-02-creating-alignment-document.md)

**Time:** 20 minutes

- **The discovery phase**: Ask questions until you find the real pain point
- **Resist solving in the discovery meeting**: Take notes, confirm, then stop
- The 10 sections of an alignment document
- How to explore sections flexibly
- Extracting information from existing communications
- Synthesizing into a clear, compelling document

### [Lesson 3: Negotiation & Acceptance](lesson-03-negotiation-acceptance.md)

**Time:** 10 minutes

- Sharing with stakeholders
- Gathering feedback and iterating
- Getting acceptance and alignment
- When everyone is on the same page

### [Lesson 4: External Contracts](lesson-04-external-contracts.md)

**Time:** 15 minutes

- When you need external contracts (consultant → client, business → suppliers)
- Project Contract vs. Service Agreement
- Key contract clauses and best practices
- Business models (fixed-price, hourly, retainer)
- Payment terms, scope protection, legal framework

### [Lesson 5: Internal Signoff Documents](lesson-05-internal-signoff.md)

**Time:** 10 minutes

- When you need internal signoff (manager/employee seeking approval)
- Internal signoff document structure
- Company signoff format adaptation
- Approval workflows and stakeholders

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## Tutorial

**[Tutorial: Alignment & Signoff →](tutorial-03.md)**

Step-by-step hands-on guide to creating your alignment document and securing signoff.

**Time:** 55-75 minutes  
**What you'll create:** Complete alignment document and signoff document (external contract or internal signoff)

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## Key Concepts

**The Discovery Discipline:**
- **Understand before you solve** - The carpenter measures twice, the doctor diagnoses first
- **Separate discovery from solution** - Don't present solutions in the first meeting
- **Ask until you find the pain point** - Keep digging deeper to understand the real issue
- **Take notes, confirm understanding, then stop** - Come back with a thoughtful proposal

**Alignment Document (Pitch):**
- Created AFTER discovery phase
- Makes the case for why the project matters
- Gets stakeholders aligned on Idea, Why, What, How, Budget, Commitment
- Readable in 2-3 minutes
- Allows negotiation and iteration

**Signoff Documents:**
- **External Contracts**: Project Contract (consultant → client) or Service Agreement (business → suppliers)
  - Includes legal protections, payment terms, IP ownership
  - Different business models (fixed-price, hourly, retainer)
- **Internal Signoff**: For internal company projects
  - May follow company-specific formats
  - Focuses on approval workflows and budget allocation
- Both include scope, investment, timeline, deliverables

**The Flow:**
1. **Discovery meeting** - Listen: Ask questions, understand their goals and what's important for success
2. **Stop & reflect** - "Let me think about this and come back with a thoughtful proposal"
3. **Create alignment document** - Create: Build pitch based on what they told you
4. **Presentation meeting** - Present: Share proposal showing you understood them
5. **Iterate** - Negotiate: Adjust and refine together to find the perfect match
6. **Get acceptance** - Accept: They say yes to the pitch
7. **Generate signoff** - Contract: Create short, clear contract based on accepted pitch
8. **Sign** - Both parties sign
9. **Proceed to Project Brief** - Brief: Use pitch and contract as the backbone

**Key:** Pitch and contract become the foundation for your project brief - not throwaway documents.

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## Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will:

- ✅ Understand the discipline of discovery before solution
- ✅ Know how to ask questions that reveal what success looks like for them
- ✅ Be able to separate discovery meetings from solution presentation
- ✅ Understand when you need stakeholder alignment
- ✅ Know how to create a compelling alignment document based on real understanding
- ✅ Be able to negotiate and iterate until acceptance
- ✅ Generate appropriate external contracts or internal signoff documents
- ✅ Know when to skip this module and go straight to Project Brief

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## When to Skip This Module

**Skip if:**
- You're doing the project yourself
- You have full autonomy
- You don't need stakeholder approval

**Go directly to:** [Module 04: Create Project Brief](../module-04-project-brief/tutorial-04.md)

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## Start Learning

**[Begin with Lesson 1: Understanding Alignment →](lesson-01-understanding-alignment.md)**

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[← Back to Course Overview](../00-course-overview.md) | [Next: Module 04: Create Project Brief →](../module-04-project-brief/tutorial-04.md)

*Part of the WDS Course: From Designer to Linchpin*

