What happens when conflict occurs — decided now, so no one has to invent it under pressure later. This is the front door: it routes you to the right tool and states the non-negotiables that apply no matter which one you use.
"If you already have a policy of when conflict occurs, this is what's going to happen — it's not 'my way or the highway.' It's actually, there's a policy for this already."
◈Repair before punishmentThe default response to harm is accountability and repair — not silent exile, not public shaming. The standard for apology is the four-stage Alchemy of Apology: self-interrogation, detailed accounting, empathy, taking responsibility. A vague "I'm sorry" doesn't meet it.
◈We don't throw people awayPeople can phase themselves out through their own actions — but the policy itself never discards someone for a single mistake. The response to being told you caused harm does more damage — or more repair — than the mistake itself.
◈Compromise, not "my way or the highway"We get everyone's needs met to some extent. No one gets everything they want — we're a business, not children.
◈Exit pathways are named in advanceA humane way to leave — whether by choice or by consequence — exists before anyone needs it, not improvised in the moment. On the way out, we name what's actually being asked for: exoneration, forbearance, or release — three different agreements.
◈Anonymous, safe lines of reportingConcerns can be raised without fear of reprisal, and individual experiences are shared onward only as anonymous, aggregated patterns — never as identifiable stories. "Anonymous and clear lines of reporting are critical." (DEIB book §2.1)
◈The body is in the roomAnger in conflict is often an emotional cover for grief or fear — met with patience, never tone-policing. When the energy gets heavy: breathe, shake, walk, break. Repair sessions honor the somatic element, not just the verbal one.