Guardrails against misuse
Seven rules that protect the program from becoming harmful.
These rules protect the program from becoming harmful.
1. Ownership must be fair
Do not ask people to own work without giving them the power to act.
2. Accountability is not punishment first
Start with facts. Then decide what is fair.
3. Direct feedback must still be respectful
Clear does not mean cruel.
4. Empathy does not remove standards
Care about people. Still name what must change.
5. Systems thinking does not excuse every behavior
A broken process may explain a problem.
It does not excuse lying, hiding risk, unsafe choices, or repeated refusal to follow clear steps.
6. Strategy must include tradeoffs
If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
7. Culture must never silence truth
A healthy culture makes hard truth easier to say.
It does not punish people for raising real risk.