How do I get my team to agree on what to build?

Ask each person separately about their part of the work, compare what they said, and put each real disagreement in front of one person who has the authority to decide it. Write down the decision and the reason, then have the people involved confirm that what was written matches what they meant.

Agreement doesn't come from more meetings. It comes from making the differences visible and having someone decide them.

Why do teams disagree about what to build?

Usually because each group sees a different part of the same process. Operations, finance and the front line each describe it from where they stand, and each is right about their part. The differences stay hidden until someone has to write code that does one thing.

Why ask people separately?

In a group meeting, the most senior or most confident voice tends to set the answer, and people often don't mention the exceptions they handle. Asked on their own, people say more about how the work really goes. Then you compare.

What do you do with the differences?

Sort them:

• Real conflicts: two answers that can't both be true, such as two different approval limits. These need a decision.
• Gaps: something nobody covered. These need someone to answer.
• Assumptions: something taken as true but not confirmed. These need a person to confirm or reject.

Who should decide?

For each area of the work, one person who knows it and can speak for it: a decision maker. The project's sponsor or owner decides anything else, and anything that's stuck. Decisions should be made with every side's answer in view, and the reason written down.

How do you keep the agreement from unraveling?

Have each expert confirm the items written from their answers. Get the sponsor to sign off the whole thing. After that, route changes through an agreed process so everyone can see what changed and why.

What if the disagreement is really about priorities?

Then it belongs to the sponsor. Write the options down plainly, with what each would mean, and ask for a decision. Recording "we chose this, and here's why" is often what lets people move on.

Mochlion works this way: it works out what to ask the right people, compares their answers, and surfaces the gaps and disagreements for people to decide. See how it works.