From Mobilization to Organization
Why Values Come First
When we meet organizations, it’s often an invitation at a crossroads. They’ve written the policies, created the handbooks, maybe even set up equity committees. But when we ask where their values are in that work, the room goes quiet. Too often, the value statement was written long ago, has collected dust on a self, or was forgotten all together. When we meet folks in the moment, it often exists as something aspirational, not operational. Aspirations are great, but until we operationalize them we are not actually living them and making them real in the world.
To create authentic and lasting shifts, values cannot be separate and must be the center. They are the rudder, and they must be acted in all we do in the work. Through this process, what we’re trying to achieve stays steady even when the how changes over time. Starting with values means we begin with the deepest layer of clarity: why we gather, what we’re willing to risk, and the future we are rehearsing with every meeting, policy, conversation, and choice.
Audre Lorde reminded us that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” When we act from a place of dysregulation—reacting instead of responding—we often fall back on the very tools and values we’re trying to revolt against: individualism, false urgency, control, punishment. Those behaviors are deeply programmed, and when they guide our response, we stay stuck inside the imaginary box of the systems we want to break out of and transform.
Belonging Based Facilitation™ offers a counter-cultural stance. It positions us perpendicular to individualism and moves us toward collective practice—choosing belonging over reactivity, equity over efficiency, and relationship over control. We often see this in real time when we’re facilitating.
Action Without Organized Values
We were working recently with a co-leadership team who had committed to modeling what it means to rest and unplug. They were moderately successful. One of them spent time camping, far out of cell phone range and away from the constant ping of email. The other had more of a ‘staycation,’ getting support & regeneration closer to home. But even still, the tether was hard to cut. Nearly every day, one or the other of them found themselves plugging back in; in one case driving from the campground to a café in town so they could use the Wi-Fi to do admin tasks. The habit of constant responsibility and availability made it feel unavoidable and had taken away the ability to assess if there was true urgency at play.
When we checked in after that stretch on how plugging back into work felt, another layer came forward. One co-leader realized she had dozens of hours of PTO about to expire at a quickly approaching fiscal year end. One of her colleagues did the math on the spot and offered a creative solution: What if you worked part-time with a couple days off each week for the next six weeks? Brilliance! It would clear the hours, create a rhythm of rest, and still keep the work moving.
Instead of relief, the suggestion sparked resistance: No, I can’t do that because… Every option turned into another problem to solve. Many of us can relate to such moments - feeling so tired and stretched that even a creative solution feels impossible to achieve. It’s a cycle of “problematizing the solution,” where energy is spent, yet little or no progress is made. We feel changing what we are used to, even when it is no longer serving us - is too much work and overwhelms. When we find ourselves in that space, it’s a reminder to pause, rest, and reconvene when our energy returns. And to use that newfound energy on the solutions and making them actionable.
When the how doesn’t match the why, we end up reinforcing what we’re fighting: burnout, overwork, powerhoarding, rigid structures, and reactive decision-making. When we can align our how and why, we can return to creative and inclusive decision-making processes, shared leadership, responsive strategies, and celebrating wins that embody equity in every step.
The Three-Part Arc: Know, Commit, Practice
We’re defining a simple, but demanding rhythm:
Know your values – Define them concretely (individually and collectively). What do these words mean in practice?
Commit to your why – Name why these values matter, what you are willing to do to uphold them, and how you will stay accountable when under duress/pressure..
Practice liberation in your how – Translate words into daily practice. How you meet, decide, disagree, and repair is the work.
Leader mindsets, such as intentionality, presence, and commitment to diverse needs are the core skills that make this arc possible. These aren’t just soft skills; they are equity in practice.
Reflect
For a lasting organization, the journey is not about abandoning energy or passion. It’s about channeling them such that values become the compass that keeps us oriented when urgency tempts us to cut corners. When we start with values, we ensure that the structures we build—and the futures we imagine—are already infused with the justice and belonging we seek.
This piece is part of our “Organizing Equity: Values in Action” series, where we reflect on how values, embodiment, and sustainability guide our collective work.