We Prioritize Clean Communication

We train in and practice Clean Communication to honor the whole human in the workplace and to be effective collaborators.

‍What this value means:We communicate with each other in “Clean” ways:

  • We create a safe environment for feedback because We are a Learning Organization and feedback is fire

How to live this value:Even/Over Statements for this value:

  • Check it out over Letting a tension build

  • Express Feelings & Needs over Expressing Judgements

  • Own your choices over Everything happens to me

  • External focus on the customer over Internal focus on ourselves

Putting it into action:

  • Learn the ARCI framework, and use those terms in your day-to-day work. Who is accountable for a project? Who is responsible? What is the difference between the two? Who needs to be consulted? Informed?
  • If you said you were going to consult a particular party, follow through
  • We do “Root Cause Analyses" (RCAs)
  • Focus on correcting and remedying root causes rather than just symptoms.

  • Focus on HOW and WHY something happened, not WHO was responsible.

  • Be methodical and find concrete cause-effect evidence to back up root cause claims.

  • Consider how a root cause can be prevented (or replicated) in the future.

Part 1: Build a foundation in courageous candor

  • Distinguish between violent and nonviolent communication
  • Learn the Non-Violent Communication (NVC) Framework
  • Open Stages of Awareness to explore a way of looking at the world through this lens: everything we do is an attempt to meet a need.
  • Deepening your self-awareness will help you interact more effectively with your colleagues.


Part 2: Create agreements as a team

  • Make agreements about how you will communicate as a team
  • Learn how to address agreements that appear to be broken to find clarity and resolution

Part 3: Learn how to give and receive feedback

  • Gain clarity on how to set the stage for effective feedback

  • Come to an agreement about how and when feedback is given

Part 4: Learn how to navigate conflict and accountability

  • Learn ‣ for conflict resolution

  • Learn ARCI resolve issues of accountability

What this value doesn’t mean:

  • No unilateral activism — we’re all in this together

  • We do not become so focused internally that we forget that Market Signal is our North Star
  • We process communication misunderstandings in an efficient, effective and healthy way in order to better achieve our business goals

Why this value is important to us:

  • How we do things matters as much as what we do
  • To paraphrase Maya Angelous, people may not remember what you said but they will remember how they felt when you said it.

Other related resources: