Talk:Strategy/Archive/Vision, values and mission

Being nice

As a result of the strategy discussion today, where the topic of 'being nice' was discussed at length as part of reviewing our vision, mission and values, we're thinking about adding "To be congenial, supportive and welcoming" to our values. What does everyone think to this? Thanks. Mike Peel (talk) 10:36, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

I think we need to examine our values as a whole - at the moment, they aren't actually presented as values. Essentially, values should nouns, not verbs ("being nice" can be a value, "to be nice" can't - it seems a trivial difference, but it helps shape the way you think about them). Values are like axioms. They are fundamental truths that can't be proven but from which everything else follows. It is important to distinguish between values, which are things we consider to be inherently good, and means to an end, which are good because they help us further our values.

For example, at the moment we list free licenses as a value. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't care about free licenses other than as a tool to help improve the availability of knowledge (which is our primary value). Similarly, is being nice a value, or is it a tool? I'm not sure being nice can be considered inherently good because I don't think there is even an inherent definition of what it means to be nice. Niceness is heavily dependant on culture - basically, it means following societal and cultural norms. Following such norms is useful because it makes it easier to work with other people and to get them to do what you want. Does it have value other than because of its utility, though?

Our list of values should be as short as possible (but no shorter). I suggest the following as our values:

1. The availability of free knowledge to everyone
2. Openness and transparency in everything we do
3. The involvement of volunteers as a central part of everything we do

I'm not sure if the involvement of volunteers isn't also a means to an end, but I think it does go a little further than that. We could have a separate list of "Methodology" or "How we work" which includes things like free licenses and being nice. --Tango (talk) 11:24, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

I think we definitely need to try to be nicer to one another. At the moment there is a bit too much communication that is direct to the point of being hostile and abrasive. To be honest, this risks reduces our output by demotivating people and making them defensive. Neither volunteers nor staff like being snapped at - or, indeed, snapping at people.

"Congenial, welcoming and supportive" were an attempt to better define "nice", and I think they hit the spot (though congenial is a slightly odd word...) - it would be interesting to see if we could support these, and the other values, with examples of behaviours. The Land (talk) 21:19, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

Collaborative

Have we missed a key word out of our statements about our values? Shouldn't we also be aiming to be collaborative in our work? Thank. Mike Peel (talk) 21:12, 23 June 2013 (UTC)