The Stoplight Contract

'We'll adapt if needed' leaves the decision to whoever argues hardest later. Write observable green, amber, and red conditions now, with a review date and someone legitimately able to apply or revise them.

Green: continue → amber: inspect or revise → red: stop or escalate.

The Stoplight Contract precommits how a destination responds to evidence. Green means the purpose and bounds support continuation; amber means investigate or revise; red means stop or escalate because a specified condition is unacceptable. Use persistence or confirmation for noisy signals, while serious breaches can require immediate action. Name who has revision authority.

Try this when…

We promised to adapt, but nobody knows what would trigger it.

Hope keeps overriding the same warning sign.

One bad day makes us abandon everything.

Who can stop this if the agreed condition fails?

What you can use it for

Make review actionable

Translate vague flexibility into specific conditions and responses.

Reduce sunk-cost drift

Keep continuation answerable to evidence after effort has accumulated.

Handle ordinary variation

Distinguish noisy warnings from serious breaches requiring prompt action.