Template
Relationship One-Pager
A shared one-page operating note for an important relationship: why it matters, what each person needs, and how you keep drift from turning into friction.
Use this when a relationship matters enough that ambiguity is expensive: cofounders, direct reports, lead investors, advisors, chiefs of staff or strategic partners. Build it together. The value is not the document alone; it is the quality of the alignment conversation it forces.
What goes on the page
| Section | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Why does this relationship matter right now? |
| What great looks like | What would make this relationship obviously working this quarter? |
| Mutual expectations | What are we each counting on from the other? |
| Communication norms | Which channel, cadence and prep style works best for each of us? |
| Decision boundaries | Who decides what, and what should be escalated together? |
| Friction signs | What usually tells us this relationship is drifting off track? |
| Repair rules | How will we raise tension early and reset when something feels off? |
| Current asks | What does each person most need from the other right now? |
How to use it
- Draft it live together. If one person writes it alone, it often lands like a disguised performance memo.
- Keep it to one page. Compression forces the real trade-offs and expectations into the open.
- Review it monthly in a 1:1, or sooner when roles, stakes or pressure change.
- Use the Relationship Design Canvas to open the conversation, then compress the agreements into this working version.
When tension appears, pull out the page and update the agreement before arguing about whose memory is right.
Source / credit
Outstride original
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