Why are we establishing Standards of Excellence?
We believe CNCF Ambassadors represent the best of our community. You have been selected because of your accomplishments, but also your ability to help others learn, collaborate and accomplish their own goals. These Standards of Excellence are designed to provide a set of guidelines and best practices for engaging with CNCF and the broader community. These Standards will make it easier for CNCF Ambassadors to contribute to a positive culture and environment by providing clarity around what and how we create the CNCF ethos.
Scope
If you are a CNCF Ambassador, these Standards apply to you. This means they apply to your statements and actions in your capacity as a CNCF representative, whether they occur online or offline, and whether they occur within community spaces or outside of community spaces.
In addition to complying with these Standards of Excellence, CNCF Ambassadors are also required to comply with the CNCF Code of Conduct and the Linux Foundation Events Code of Conduct, and all other applicable CNCF policies, rules, or guidelines.
Be Kind, Welcoming, and Inclusive
- Be kind to others.
- Promote a friendly atmosphere where people feel comfortable asking questions, participating in discussions, and making contributions.
- Show gratitude and appreciation for others. Look for opportunities to say “thank you” and recognize people when they are being helpful or making contributions.
- Make a conscious effort to welcome and be inclusive of newcomers and people who are different from you.
- Show empathy, care, and concern for others’ feelings, perspectives, and experiences.
Be Respectful and Professional
- At all times, conduct yourself in a manner that is appropriate for a professional environment.
- Always treat others with courtesy and respect. Rude, insulting, offensive, disparaging, or threatening statements or behaviors are not permitted.
Handle Disagreements Respectfully
We want to encourage the candid exchange of ideas and feedback and foster an environment in which people can openly agree or disagree with each other, so long as they do so respectfully. Disagreements are not an excuse for bad behavior. As a CNCF Ambassador, you are expected to:
- Respond to differences of opinion in a respectful manner.
- Make a conscious effort to understand other people’s perspectives and learn the facts before you publicly take a stand on any highly controversial issue.
- Seek to resolve conflict and disagreement in a respectful and collaborative manner and encourage others to do the same.
Promote and Enhance the CNCF Brand
As a CNCF Ambassador, part of your role is to promote and enhance the CNCF brand and contribute to goodwill and positive relations among the foundation and other stakeholders in the cloud native ecosystem. Nonetheless, you can be honest and candid with constructive criticism, holding others accountable, identifying opportunities for improvement, and discussing potential challenges. However, always express yourself in a manner that is respectful and professional, and strive to also be tactful and sensitive to how your words may impact others. See the “Be Graceful With Feedback” section below for suggestions on how to deliver feedback constructively and kindly.
As a CNCF Ambassador, your actions can reflect either positively or poorly on the CNCF community, foundation, and brand. Therefore, engaging in activity that is illegal, immoral, fraudulent, deceptive, or is otherwise likely to damage the reputation of the CNCF community, foundation, or Ambassador Program, is grounds for immediate suspension or removal from the CNCF Ambassador Program.
Be Graceful With Feedback
- Giving others kudos and recognition is a great way to contribute to a positive environment. Therefore, feel free to share positive feedback in both public and private forums.
- When it comes to negative feedback or criticism, remember that none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. Most people are good people who are trying to do good things. Therefore, when others make mistakes, strive to be understanding. When you make a mistake, take responsibility and do your best to learn and improve.
- Always share feedback or criticism in a respectful, courteous, and professional manner. Additionally, always strive to present negative feedback or criticism in a constructive manner (e.g., as suggestions for improvement) rather than a destructive manner (e.g., insults or degrading language).
- When you have negative feedback or criticism about an individual (other than a public figure), please share it privately to help the individual learn and grow. Please avoid sharing negative feedback or criticism about an individual (other than a public figure) publicly, because this could cause unnecessary shame, embarrassment, or humiliation.
- When you have negative feedback or criticism about an organization or public figure, you may share it publicly or privately, so long as you do so in a respectful, courteous, and professional manner.
Consequences for Violation
If CNCF determines that a CNCF Ambassador has violated these Standards of Excellence, or if a CNCF Ambassador has been found in violation of the CNCF Code of Conduct or the Linux Foundation Events Code of Conduct, CNCF, at its sole discretion, may take any action that CNCF deems appropriate under the circumstances, including asking the CNCF Ambassador to remove offending content from community spaces or public spaces, or suspending or removing the individual from the CNCF Ambassador Program.
Questions and Reporting
If you have questions about these Standards of Excellence, or if you would like to report a potential violation, please send an email to ambassador-support@cncf.io and the current community manager will contact you. We will respond promptly to all questions and reports.
Updates
CNCF reserves the right to modify these Standards of Excellence at any time, at its sole discretion. CNCF will notify CNCF Ambassadors of major changes to the guidelines by email and via the CNCF Ambassador Slack channel. However, any changes to these guidelines will not apply retroactively. If these guidelines are updated and a CNCF Ambassador does not wish to agree, their participation in the CNCF Ambassador Program will cease until such time as they do agree.