Code of Conduct
Our Shared Network
When I founded Statement Co., I envisioned more than just a business network—I wanted to cultivate a healthy, living ecosystem where independent leaders, partners, collaborators, and clients don't just execute great work, but genuinely thrive together.
A resilient ecosystem relies on diversity, balance, reciprocity, and clear boundaries. The same is true for sustainable business. We know that diverse perspectives are essential to creating innovative, adaptive, and high-impact work. We apply these principles as our operational model: believing deeply that uncompromisingly high standards, joint accountability, and profound human respect are mutually dependent.
At Statement Co., we value authenticity in our relationships, integrity in our actions, and resonance in our interactions with everyone. Within our network, we treat one another with the same level of intention, responsiveness, and care that we extend across all of our relationships.
This Code of Conduct serves a dual purpose across our entire ecosystem, including Statement Co., our enterprise clients, strategic partners, and members of Statement Co.llab: it grounds our day-to-day interactions in safety, curiosity, and respect, while capturing the compliance, integrity, and operational standards that our enterprise clients expect of us.
Consider this document our collective compass—a commitment to upholding our core convictions as we build something extraordinary together.
Thank you for bringing your expertise, your voice, and your trust to this shared space.
Sarah Cargill
Founder & Managing Director, Statement Co.
Core Pillars of Collaboration
1. Relational Intent & Communication
Cultivate Psychological Safety: We build spaces—in meetings, communications, and project channels—where everyone feels safe to voice ideas, raise early risks, ask for help, or offer constructive feedback without fear of retaliation.
Lead with Curiosity: Whether guiding strategy, product, change, sales, or marketing, our work always begins with deep curiosity and empathy for the people, context, and unique dynamics of every situation. When challenges or unexpected outcomes arise, we prioritize seeking to understand, gaining clarity, and gathering facts before drawing conclusions. We ask questions to understand context and perspective.
Assume Positive Intent & Address Impact: We operate from the baseline assumption that our collaborators care about quality, integrity, equity, and doing the right thing. We honor that every individual is on their own journey—forever a work in progress, striving to learn and evolve. At the same time, we acknowledge that well-intentioned actions can still cause unintended harm. When misalignments occur, we extend grace, focus conversations on observable facts and shared goals rather than assumed motives, and work together toward constructive solutions.
Provide Feedback for Growth: We request, give, and receive feedback early and often—attuning thoughtfully to timing, context, and the individual—with the sole intention of strengthening our partnership, improving our shared work, and helping each other grow. Feedback is offered thoughtfully by articulating the specific situation, observed behavior(s), and impact. We understand feedback is an invitation to consider another perspective rather than a mandate for agreement. In turn, receiving feedback requires listening, asking questions, and examining the biases or assumptions that shape our conclusions. Ultimately, considering a perspective does not require adopting another person’s priorities or proposed actions; if feedback misaligns with the purpose, context, or scope of the work, we respectfully acknowledge the insight while choosing a different path forward.
Engage Respectfully & Professionally, Always: We combine radical candor with deep professional respect. We define professional communication as delivering clear, transparent truths without resorting to inflammatory language, personal insults, public call-outs, or aggression—even in times of high stress and difficult discussions. We show respect for each other’s time by acknowledging communications promptly, respecting capacity, and proactively communicating delays before deadlines pass.
Maintain Healthy Boundaries: We honor professional and personal boundaries across all interactions. We treat personal history, lived experiences, and past disclosures with absolute discretion—refraining from referencing, repurposing, or weaponizing someone’s personal vulnerability or shared history to influence, challenge, or debate a business decision. We respect each collaborator’s capacity, autonomy, and privacy, offering advice, guidance, or intervention only when it is explicitly welcomed and contextually appropriate.
2. Inclusion & Belonging
Be Inclusive: We practice inclusion through active listening, open collaboration, and conscious respect for diverse identities and lived experiences. We are dedicated to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, or unfair treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or background. We do not tolerate any discrimination.
Honor Human Dignity: We expect that every individual within our ecosystem be treated with fundamental fairness, care, and dignity. This means honoring individual agency, respecting self-identification, practicing active listening, and valuing diverse lived experiences.
Honor Diverse Perspectives: We respect that each business leader within our network holds unique personal beliefs and chooses the degree to which their independent business serves as a platform for advocacy. Members always have the agency to choose where and how they engage across our ecosystem. When participating in standard shared commercial spaces, joint client projects, or professional scopes, we focus our interactions on shared, neutral business goals—provided that neutrality is never used to excuse discrimination, harassment, or a violation of human dignity. Specific events, campaigns, or projects may explicitly feature impact or advocacy initiatives when participating members intentionally opt in and mutually agree in advance to leverage that effort as a shared platform.
Prioritize Well-Being: We design physical and digital environments that protect safety, support mental health, and respect sustainable working rhythms. Recognizing that everyone thrives under different conditions, we aim to structure engagements—considering optimal times of day, working days, and environments—so collaborators can deliver their best work while reliably meeting client needs and project goals.
3. Autonomy, Reciprocity & Sustainability
Respect Business Scope: We enter partnerships with clarity around our shared commercial, strategic, and professional focus. While we value the multi-dimensional perspectives each leader brings, members and partners respect the established scope of Statement Co. services and programs—recognizing that clear operational boundaries allow us to deliver focused, high-impact work effectively.
Honor Business Autonomy: We recognize and honor that each participating business within the Statement Co.llab as well as Statement Co. remains fully autonomous. Every partner and contractor is entirely free to operate, establish policies, and engage businesses as they see fit—so long as those practices do not violate our mutually agreed-upon contracts or policies.
Ensure Mutual Value: We structure joint efforts on mutual respect, free consent, and transparent value exchange so that every collaborator gains meaningful benefit. We aim to continually balance the scales when generous gifts of time, access, expertise, and offerings are shared—ensuring that goodwill is met with active support. Testimonials, endorsements, and professional access are given freely as a celebration of mutual value.
Create Regenerative Impact: We aim for work that is regenerative—meaning it actively leaves our teams, partners, client relationships, and communities healthier, more capable, and better resourced than we found them, rather than burning people out or draining resources.
4. Integrity, Protection & Shared Stewardship
Uphold Legal & Ethical Commitments: We honor our contractual agreements, intellectual property boundaries, privacy obligations, and all applicable local, national, and international laws—including anti-corruption laws (such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act). Additionally, when engaged on client projects, we commit to upholding any specific client Codes of Conduct, security guidelines, or ethical standards articulated in our Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs).
Protect Confidentiality & Trust: We handle sensitive information, client assets, and proprietary ideas with care and discretion.
Ensure Transparent Conflicts of Interest: We proactively disclose any potential conflicts of interest, competing business engagements, or financial overlaps so we can address them together with full openness, trust, and professional integrity.
Gifts, Hospitality & Entertainment: We ensure that any exchange of gifts, meals, or professional hospitality remains modest, infrequent, customary, and transparent. Gifts or entertainment must never be offered or accepted with the intent to improperly influence a business decision, create an obligation, or compromise professional judgment.
Maintain Accurate Books, Records & Billing: We build trust through transparent billing, accurate and complete record-keeping, and an absolute commitment to fair dealing. We maintain clean operations by refusing to offer, promise, give, or accept bribes, kickbacks, or improper payments of any kind to government officials or private entities.
Steward Public Voice: We honor and protect each entity's brand reputation. Neither party speaks publicly on behalf of the other or references shared work without explicit alignment and mutual consent. Stewardship means taking collective responsibility for protecting the shared health, reputation, and long-term trust of our ecosystem.
Living Our Standards
This Code reflects the shared commitments of Statement Co. employees, clients, strategic partners, and Statement Co.llab collaborators.
Universal Expectations: By engaging with Statement Co.—whether visiting our digital channels, attending our events, or entering a commercial partnership—we expect all parties to uphold the spirit of respect, integrity, and dignity outlined in this Code.
Ensuring Alignment: Entering into a partner agreement, statement of work, or other contract with Statement Co. signifies our mutual commitment to uphold these values. Nothing in this Code creates an employment, joint venture, or agency relationship beyond the terms established in the underlying contract.
Addressing Friction & Speaking Up: If tension or misunderstandings occur, we commit to addressing them early through direct, compassionate, and collaborative dialogue. If you experience or witness a violation of this Code by Statement Co. employees, contractors, Co.llab members, clients, or strategic partners, we encourage you to share your concerns. You may reach out directly to hello@statementco.io or submit an anonymous report through our Anonymous Feedback Form. We commit to listening with care and acting responsibly.
Protecting Ecosystem Health: Building a high-trust ecosystem requires collective commitment. For contractual partners and contractors, material violations of this Code of Conduct constitute grounds for immediate termination of underlying agreements. For general network members, Statement Co. reserves the administrative right to discontinue community access or event participation at our sole discretion to preserve ecosystem health.
Statement Co. extends our sincere gratitude to the advisors, human resources (HR) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners, executive coaches, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) specialists, and leaders with lived experience whose expertise informed the development of this Code of Conduct. We recognize that upholding these standards is not a static destination, but an active, daily discipline of listening, adapting, and leading with accountability across every space we build.
