---
title: Why-What-How
collection: Cooperative Foundations
path: Cooperative Foundations/Peer Support Playbook/Why-What-How
parentDocument: Peer Support Playbook
outlineId: ff5419e1-cfec-48fb-b988-67b8faaad067
updatedAt: '2026-03-03T12:38:59.197Z'
createdBy: Jennie R.F.
---
### The Why/What/How framework

We're digging deep into values *so that we can make collective decisions*.

Corporations love to spend millions on consultants to come up with values frameworks they can plop on their website and investment slides then forget. And of course, traditional companies are explicitly beholden to their capitalist framework: typically a top-down structure, infinite growth/profit/shareholder value. And why should their employees buy into these values? And further, how do they even know if they are following them or not?

\nOne way to counter this is to integrate values into your everyday tools and processes - to build a common approach to introduce and practice ideas. This is important because if not everybody is on the same page, collective decision-making becomes very difficult. If you're not values-aligned everyone is interpreting the "right thing" differently. *Expect* this to happen - there will always be gradations of this!  But you're always working towards a shared understanding.

WHY WHAT HOW is so helpful because it:

* Creates an understood and documented way to introduce and practice ideas
* Can be quantified and measured over time
* Makes course correction transparent to everyone
* Provides good information for reexamining your values regularly

and we practice it ourselves for examining other ideas all the time!

#### Using the framework

The *order matters*: Why, then What, then How. And your values should guide all three levels.

**WHY** - Why does this value matter to us? What's at stake? Example: "We value transparency because secrecy entrenches power and excludes people from decisions that affect them."

**WHAT** - What does practicing this value look like? What are we committing to? Example: "All financial information is accessible to all members. Compensation is open."

**HOW** - How will we actually do this? What specific activities or outputs? Example: "Monthly financial summaries shared in Slack. Quarterly budget review meetings. New members oriented to finances in onboarding."

#### Walkthrough

*(Presenter demonstrates with their studio's value)*

Pick one value from your studio. Walk through:


1. Name the value
2. What happens if you don't practice it? what if you do?
3. making concrete commitments or policies
4. identifying specific activities/outputs (the actual things you do)

The Miro template on your studio board has space for this exercise, and you can spend some time with your Peer Support going over it at your next meeting.