Steve and I have agreed that we replace the value statements below with the following values and add them to our personal and business cultural relationships. These are based on the following more scientific approaches:

1. Ask a Question
2. Do Background Research
3. Construct a Hypothesis
4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
6. Communicate Your Results
   ref Science Buddies

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1….instead of deadlines,  we use Milestones

dead·line – noun

1. the time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for finishing something.
2. a line or limit that must not be passed.
3. (formerly) a boundary around a military prison beyond which a prisoner could not venture without risk of being shot by the guards.

To complete the analogy management of businesses today can then say you are “fired“, supposedly derived from “fired out” or discharged as from a firearm, if their staff do not make the supposed deadline.

We, Steve and I, do not think that this type of language is appropriate for us in the 21st century and have agreed to use milestones and be a lot more careful how we go about hiring someone.

2….instead of rules, we use Guidelines

For rules we are suggesting using guidelines, that is; if someone does not agree with them we are willing to rethink them until we get an agreement. Presently we are using three words/concepts for delivering a message and three words/concepts for responding/disputing with the message if it is not delivered as per the guidelines.
For example:

Speak/Deliver With

• Adjustable language
• Accountable language
• Acceptable language

Respond/Dispute With

• Appreciation
• Acknowledgment
• Apology

3….instead of plans, we use Daily Predictions

As plans are usually so formal, solid and far off, we are proposing that we use daily and explained predictions instead.
Rarely to the best laid plans go to “plan” and can also take years to produce. For our startup and life in general we are willing to try predictions in our step by step approach. We understand enough that with so many moving parts that each prediction is fairly loose and will need rethinking regularly during the course any project.

4….instead of expectations,  we use Explanations

As with having deadlines the result can be to have expectations of others to achieve certain results, within certain timelines. So too we have agreed to remove all expectations from our thinking and replace them with explanations. So instead of expecting a certain result we simply agree to improve our level of explanation. If we are not getting the right result then we have not explained desired result well enough. Or in other words it is not that they have not listened but we have not explained. This also applies to these values laid out here.
They can always be improved upon and explained better. Once again the listener rules.

5….instead of promises,  we use Agreements

As the saying goes rules and promises were made to be broken. How can one make a promise for anything in the future when we are aware that life can be so unpredictable? So, we have agreed to use agreements instead. That is; rethink agreements or ones that can be revisited at any time depending on the latest piece of information that has come to hand. I have always found it ironic that the word “compromise” is made up com and promise. We have agreed not to compromise ourselves or our our values.

6….instead of venting,  we use Responsible Complaints 

“Gossip is the medium of the masses” or so we say and agree that if we have a problem with someone it is better to go direct to the source. It is that simple, really. If we need to get some issue off our chest then there is no better person to do it with than the one that it involves and we encourage each other to do just that. Simply use the 6 guidelines in 2. and we believe that things will work out for the best.

7….instead of facts,  we use Stories 

In our view there is only one side to a fact but two sides to every story. We prefer and agree to use stories with adjustable language based on how we see it not how everyone is supposed to see it.