6.4 KiB
Module 03: Alignment & Signoff
Get stakeholders aligned and secure commitment before starting the project
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)
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)
Module Structure
Lesson 1: Understanding Alignment
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
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
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
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
Time: 10 minutes
- When you need internal signoff (manager/employee seeking approval)
- Internal signoff document structure
- Company signoff format adaptation
- Approval workflows and stakeholders
Tutorial
Tutorial: Alignment & Signoff →
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)
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:
- Discovery meeting - Listen: Ask questions, understand their goals and what's important for success
- Stop & reflect - "Let me think about this and come back with a thoughtful proposal"
- Create alignment document - Create: Build pitch based on what they told you
- Presentation meeting - Present: Share proposal showing you understood them
- Iterate - Negotiate: Adjust and refine together to find the perfect match
- Get acceptance - Accept: They say yes to the pitch
- Generate signoff - Contract: Create short, clear contract based on accepted pitch
- Sign - Both parties sign
- 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.
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
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
Start Learning
Begin with Lesson 1: Understanding Alignment →
← Back to Course Overview | Next: Module 04: Create Project Brief →
Part of the WDS Course: From Designer to Linchpin