WP-03
One owner per job
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This worksheet puts Pillar II (“Fix the setup, not the person”) to work, with a nod to Pillar V, Notice the quiet incentives. In you: a job that keeps slipping is a setup problem, not a character flaw. Between you and others: every job gets one clear owner, so unclaimed work stops drifting to one person.
Purpose: a living agreement that gives every regular job one owner (in a household, a team, or a family sharing someone’s care), with an optional helper, so you stop re-deciding who owns what every week. (The idea is borrowed from project work, where every task gets one clear owner.)
- Owner: does the job and sees it through. Every job needs one.
- Helper or backup (optional): pitches in, covers, or notices if it didn't get done and follows up.
Your list, ready for the fridge
The job list
| Task | Frequency | Owner | Helper or backup (optional) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Weekly | |||
| Cooking | Daily | |||
| Dishes | Daily | |||
| Laundry | Weekly | |||
| Bills & scheduling | Monthly | |||
| Cleaning (bathroom/kitchen) | Weekly | |||
| Pet care | Daily | |||
| Car maintenance | As needed | |||
| Social/family calendar | Ongoing | |||
| Emotional check-ins | Weekly | |||
| (add rows as needed) |
Changing the job list
This job list isn't set in stone. It's meant to be reworked when life changes (a new job, a health issue, a new baby), not quietly shifted when one person just starts doing more. To change it:
- Either of you can ask to revisit it at the weekly closing, your short end-of-week review (Chapter V).
- Write each change into the table above. Don't just agree out loud.
- Note the date and who agreed to it.
Agreeing on it
Agreeing means you’ve both read this version and know who owns what. It doesn’t mean every job feels perfectly fair, only that ownership is clear.
☐ We’re agreed on this. Look at this again on: ____________
Ownership Clarity Score (for “Is the setup working for everyone?”, Chapter II): count the jobs that have an owner (R) filled in, then divide by the total number of jobs listed. This is the ownership number in CALC-01.