Our Mission Statement

SF Unity Group Statement of Values*

This covenant serves to remind us of what kinds of behavior, the SF Unity Group values and aspires to achieve.

We are people of faith and/or social action, committed to contributing to a more just, equitable and love-filled world. Our faith and/or commitments govern everything we do. 

We are a visionary organization committed to repairing the world. As such, we are open to growth, taking risks, and change. 

We actively embrace a wide range of people and, being sensitive to different perspectives, we listen openly to a variety of voices both inside and outside the group.

We commit ourselves to action, not just discussion. We will learn and adapt as needed.

We honor confidentiality.

We communicate directly with one another. We practice:

• timely communication.

• two-way dialogue and respect for others’ opinions. 

• speaking directly to others, especially when we need to address a disagreement or perceived wrong and understanding that sensitive conversations are best done face-to-face. 

*Adapted from Calvary Presbyterian Church’s Leadership Behavioral Covenant

Ground Rules for Productive Meetings 

1.    Assume good intent. Every leader here is focused on driving success for the organization. Start with this assumption and don’t assume anything else. If something is unclear or troubling, ask questions to gain understanding.

2.    Have an open mind and expect to be challenged and surprised. Be open to learning and having cherished beliefs and assumptions tested. We encourage open dialogue.

3.    Listen actively to understand. Inquire (ask) before you advocate (persuade). If you start forming a response in your mind the minute someone starts speaking, you’re not really listening.

4.    Debate the issue, not the person. Be respectful of others. Focus on facts, ideas and opinions about the course of action or the idea, and not on the people proposing them.

5.    Use “Yes…and” phrasing. This creates more openings for dialogue. In contrast, saying “yes…but” tends to shut people down and make them less willing to speak again. Keep in mind that we are teammates, sharing the same goals, and all wanting the Unity Group to achieve its goals and to be as effective as possible.

6.    Silence = agreement. State your views and concerns in the room. Show each other courage and respect by having the tough conversations directly. Being quiet on an issue only to later tell people you disagreed all along is not useful. We may not agree, but we respect each other, have shared values, and in almost all cases, shared goals. Criticisms are never personal. 

7.    Be present. If we’re all on our phones or having side conversations, we’re not really here. We are all very busy and have many distractions. It is incumbent upon us to make the too little time we have together as productive as possible.

8.    Jointly design next steps and leave the meeting united. We owe it to our organization and our teams to ensure everyone is committed to moving forward together as a team.