Our Principles

1)   Operate Through Consensus – Inclusion and getting buy-in is essential for the durability of institutions that have improved the welfare of society. This requires reaching out to partners for all significant decisions and considering them in an equitable, open, and transparent process that includes documenting the decision so it can be referred to later if needed.

2)   Operate with Humility – Systems are more complex than one can know, so approaching them with an open heart and mind and as few assumptions as possible is essential for developing the capacity to learn and evolve to address challenges.

 3)   Practice Radical Truth and Transparency – You can’t evolve and improve unless you understand – and you can’t understand unless everyone involved shares their thinking through open dialogue.

4)   Develop, clearly articulate, and follow your principles – Articulating and following principles is critical for organizational integrity. These statements of what you do and how you’ll do it are crucial for providing both ethical and procedural guidance.

 5)   Give Credit, Don’t Take It – Nothing breaks down organizational cohesion and trust faster than people who take credit for other people’s work or claim responsibility for a collective effort. Giving credit is a win-win that reflects well on you, others, and the entire enterprise leading to a virtuous cycle of positive interactions.

6)   Take Responsibility and Avoid Placing Blame – Taking responsibility for something you did not do or avoiding the situation is almost as bad as denying something that was your fault because, without accurate information, it is hard for things to improve. It helps to step back and not point the finger at individuals but instead focus on understanding the deeper organizational or institutional pathologies involved. The point is not to assign fault – but to find solutions by addressing situations as honestly and objectively as possible.

 7)   Maintain Clean Lines of Communication – Don't go trampling over people's connections and ways of building relationships because people have different styles and competencies. If you need to transition the point person, be deliberate and make the handoff clear to all parties. Not only are tangled lines of communication inefficient, they also undermine trust with partners and organizational cohesion.

 8)   Stay in Your Circle of Competency – Nothing breaks down organizational effectiveness faster than people who overestimate their competencies, and most do. Effective action requires situational awareness and the humility to know where you have bonified competency and when you just think you do. This requires putting one’s ego aside and actively listening to other perspectives to understand better where your limits lie.

9)   Don't Ignore the Basics - It's striking how often people stumble over basics, such as taking notes, distributing timely information, practicing collective decision-making, active listening and respecting different viewpoints, sound finances, and just following your ethical and institutional principles. The details matter as much as the big and complex conceptual stuff!

10) Take Care of Yourself as Well as Others – Social action can be all-consuming; it's easy to get wrapped up in what the cause needs and to forget that organizational sustainability begins with yourself. So actively seek a work-life balance, for if your actions are not sustainable – the organization and your efforts will not be either.