Whether it’s a concern we have about the direction of something, a question or need for clarification, or just an idea we want to spitball, we say the things.

None of us are mind readers, and we must model the behavior we are advocating for. This also means owning up to mistakes and being transparent about our intentions and motivations.

Since so much of what we are creating is born from our own experiences, it can be a vulnerable process. We have to understand that sometimes, we are going to put something out that doesn’t resonate.

It doesn’t mean we are bad; we can let go of self-judgment. It just means that either the idea isn’t right for Human First, or it needs a little more development.

One of the most powerful things we can do for our cause is to notice when our ego is feeling bruised and quiet it down; it’s ok to ask for reassurance from trusted others if we need it.

This is also about recognizing quickly if we’ve made a mistake, either individually or as a company, and reversing course if needed. Sometimes we are going to say we will do something, and then later discover that it’s not the right thing for us to do. We always want to be humble enough to recognize when we need to change direction, no matter what the sunk costs are.

We don’t stop being whole people just because we are working. Sometimes we just need a little support, and our fellow Human First team and community members should be folks who we know we can turn to.

Support can come in many forms:

• An ear to listen
• Encouragement or reassurance
• Kindly delivering hard truths
• Making sure we aren’t allowing one person to shoulder too much of the load, or trying to prove something by shouldering too much of it ourselves
• Starting with trust in others by default

We are a village of interdependent individuals; none of us is an island.

People over profits is our just cause, as defined by Simon Sinek in the book The Infinite Game. 

Everything we do must prioritize the wellbeing of our team, our clients, and our communities. This means:

• Recognizing when an opportunity isn't consistent with our mission or values and having the discipline to say no, even if it's really lucrative
• Refusing to use AI to stand in for a job that another human could do, such as graphic design, marketing plans, and hiring
• Limiting our use of AI to cases that help us be more organized and efficient with mundane tasks, such as curating lists, doing research, and editing or proofreading content that was written by a human being
• Focusing on what we stand for in the affirmative, instead of focusing on fights or what we oppose
• Creating an inclusive environment where all are invited on this journey with us