Story 12: Yearly. Obviously.
The story: They agreed: all contracts are yearly. The deal was signed in September. In December she said they would not be renewing for the coming year. He was confused, because the deal ran until September. She meant the calendar year. He meant twelve months from signing. Same word, two clocks.
What it means for organisations: The words that feel most standard carry the most hidden assumptions. Yearly, quarterly, on time, complete: everyone treats these as self-defining, and nothing in a contract review flags them, because there is nothing visibly missing. The gap only opens on the date one of them thought was a deadline and the other thought was a Tuesday.
Where next?
Read the comic as text
The Alignment Gap, Story 12
by Stavros Stavru, Ph.D. (weallagreed.com)
Scene 1: Signing the contract
An office with framed certificates on the wall, a bookshelf, plants, and a hanging lamp. A wall calendar shows September 15, 2024. Axel sits at the desk, smiling. Ally sits beside him, signing a contract on a clipboard.
Axel: All our contracts are yearly.
Ally: Ok, deal.
Banner between scenes: “What could go wrong?”
Scene 2: At the end of the calendar year 2024
The same office. The calendar now shows December 15, 2024. Ally sits at the desk, calm and matter-of-fact. Axel sits next to her, looking surprised.
Ally: We won't renew for 2025.
Axel: But our deal runs till Sept '25.
Ally: You kidding? You said yearly!
Axel: Yes – Sept to Sept.
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