Agree on the decision before the partnership pilot

A pilot can end with both sides saying, “That went well,” while meaning different things by what should happen next.

Before starting, try a one-page decision brief that each partner can revise:

• What outcome is each side hoping to learn about?
• What will each contribute—and what is outside the pilot’s scope?
• What evidence would support continuing, changing the approach, or stopping?
• Who will bring the evidence together, and when will both sides review it?

This is not a promise to scale. It gives both partners a clearer basis for deciding whether the next step is worth owning. The useful test is whether each person can describe the other’s expectations accurately—and still say what they would change. A proposed brief becomes an agreement only when both sides accept it.