Defining Community Values

Establishing Shared Principles for Collective Life

Community values are the shared beliefs about what is good, fair, and important that guide how people in a group behave toward one another and make decisions together. This is not about individual preferences, but about the collective principles that define your group's character and operational standards. They answer the question: How do we agree to treat each other and work together here?

To build this understanding, start with the core components:

• “Values” are principles about what is right, fair, proper, and just that shape behavior and expectations.
• “Community” is a group of people linked by place, culture, interests, or norms who interact and feel a sense of belonging.
• “Community values” emerge when those principles become collective. They define what the group considers acceptable, admirable, or unacceptable in shared life.

Without consciously defining these values, a group defaults to unspoken, often conflicting, assumptions. This leads to confusion, conflict, and a weak sense of belonging. A clear set of community values acts as a social contract, providing a consistent framework for interaction, conflict resolution, and collective action.

Core Principles Found in Thriving Communities

Research across various groups—from neighborhoods to online forums—shows that certain foundational principles consistently appear. These are not a prescribed list, but a common starting point for your own discussion.

• Mutual Support and Cooperation: This is the active practice of helping each other and working together toward common goals. It moves beyond individualism to a mindset of "we're in this together."
• Respect and Empathy: This involves valuing each person, listening actively, and striving to understand others’ feelings and perspectives, even in disagreement.
• Responsibility and Contribution: Members recognize that a healthy community requires everyone to do their part for the common good. It’s about active participation, not passive consumption.
• Fairness, Justice, and Equity: This principle focuses on treating people justly and proactively working to address gaps and inequities within the community. It ensures the group's benefits and burdens are shared appropriately.
• Belonging and Inclusion: A successful community actively ensures everyone has a place and a voice. It works to break down barriers to participation and makes people feel they are a valued part of the whole.

A community's strength is measured not by the similarity of its members' views, but by the shared commitment to how they treat one another despite their differences.

A Practical Framework for Defining Your Values

Articulating your community values is a deliberate process. Follow this three-step method to move from abstract ideas to actionable guidelines.

Step 1: Name What Matters Most

Begin by facilitating a discussion to identify the principles essential for your group to thrive. Pose specific questions to avoid generic answers.

For a neighborhood association: "What three things are most important for us to feel safe, connected, and proud of where we live?" For an online professional group: "What behaviors must everyone exhibit for this to be a trusted space for sharing knowledge and opportunities?" For a school classroom: "What do we all need to do to make sure everyone can learn and feel welcome here?"

Document all suggestions. Look for common themes that point toward broader values like safety, innovation, trust, or growth.

Step 2: Translate Values into Observable Behaviors

A value remains meaningless until it is defined by action. For each value you name, co-create a "We will..." or "We do..." statement.

• Value: Respect
  • Weak: "We are respectful."
  • Strong: "We listen without interrupting. We speak to each other without insults or slurs. We acknowledge perspectives different from our own."
• Value: Inclusion
  • Weak: "We include everyone."
  • Strong: "We proactively invite quiet members to share. We ensure meeting times are accessible. We use language that does not assume everyone's background or experience."
• Value: Shared Responsibility
  • Weak: "We all help out."
  • Strong: "We volunteer for at least one community task per quarter. We clean up after ourselves at shared spaces. We reliably complete our assigned roles for group projects."

This step turns philosophy into practical expectation.

Step 3: Agree on How to Uphold and Enforce Values

Values without accountability are merely suggestions. Decide as a group how you will live by these standards.

1. Establish Norms: Integrate your behavioral statements into your community's routines. Start meetings by reading them. Include them in welcome packets for new members. Post them in your shared digital space.
2. Create Decision Rules: Agree that all major group decisions will be evaluated against your core values. Ask, "Does this proposal align with our value of fairness? Does it promote inclusion?"
3. Plan for Violations: Decide in advance how to address behavior that contradicts your stated values. Will there be a gentle, private reminder from a moderator first? A public discussion? A clear process for reporting concerns? Having this plan removes ambiguity and emotional reactivity when issues arise.

Checklist for Implementing Your Community Values

Use this list to ensure your process is thorough and effective.

• $render`✓` Facilitated an open discussion with broad member input to identify potential values.
• $render`✓` Synthesized suggestions into 3-5 core, non-redundant community values.
• $render`✓` For each value, drafted 2-3 specific, observable behavioral statements (e.g., "We will...").
• $render`✓` Presented the drafted values and behaviors back to the community for feedback and ratification.
• $render`✓` Formally adopted the final statement in a community forum or vote.
• $render`✓` Published the values statement in all key community spaces (website, forum, physical location).
• $render`✓` Established a routine for revisiting the values (e.g., at an annual meeting or when welcoming many new members).
• $render`✓` Defined a clear, fair process for addressing violations, focused on education and restoration.
• $render`✓` Assigned responsibility to specific leaders or a committee to model the values and facilitate the accountability process.

Tailoring Values to Your Context

The specific application of your community values will depend on your group's nature. Here are examples of how core principles manifest in different settings.

For a Remote Work Team:

• Mutual Support: "We proactively share updates and resources in public channels to keep everyone informed, avoiding silos."
• Respect: "We use video during calls when possible to foster connection, and are punctual to meetings, acknowledging others' time."
• Inclusion: "We rotate meeting times to accommodate different time zones and use collaborative documents that allow for asynchronous input."

For a Community Garden:

• Shared Responsibility: "We all sign up for and complete weekly watering and weeding shifts according to the public schedule."
• Cooperation: "We share surplus tools and harvest, and offer help to new gardeners."
• Fairness: "Plot assignments are made through a transparent lottery system, and communal resources are allocated based on documented need."

For a Social Media Group:

• Respect: "We debate ideas, not people. Personal attacks or hateful language result in immediate removal."
• Belonging: "Moderators welcome every new member with a standard post and encourage introductions."
• Contribution: "We encourage members to answer questions from others, not just post their own content."

Remember, defining community values is not a one-time event but an ongoing practice. Revisit them regularly, especially during periods of growth or conflict. Their true power is realized not when they are framed on a wall, but when they are referenced in daily decisions and used to gently guide behavior back toward the collective agreement that holds your community together.