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Code of Conduct

What makes a collective work. Read this before you register; taking part means agreeing to it.

Last updated 22 July 2026

Why this exists

FOCUS only works because everyone in the room can speak honestly and knows help comes before anything else. This Code of Conduct sets the standards that protect that. It applies to everyone who takes part in a collective: members, hosts, and expert partners alike. Registering for a collective means agreeing to keep it.

1. The Chatham House Rule

When a meeting is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information shared, but may not reveal the identity or affiliation of the person who said it, nor that of any other participant.

FOCUS collectives run under the Chatham House Rule so people can be candid about what is really happening in their companies. In practice this means:

  • take the ideas and lessons away, but leave names, companies, and "who said what" in the room;
  • do not repeat, post, record, or screenshot what was shared in a way that identifies a participant; and
  • assume anything personal shared in the room is confidential unless the person clearly says otherwise.

2. The Non-Transaction Rule (no pitching)

The floor is for genuine help, never for selling. You agree not to use a collective (or contacts made through it) primarily to pitch, prospect, recruit, or sell. Come to give before you get. This rule is absolute, and it is what keeps the help real. Breaking it may cost you your seat.

3. How we treat each other

Everyone in a collective agrees to:

  • treat every participant with respect, whatever their seat, company, or background;
  • listen generously, give honest and constructive input, and let people finish;
  • keep confidences and never use what is shared against someone; and
  • arrive ready to contribute, not just to take.

4. What is not acceptable

The following have no place in a FOCUS collective:

  • harassment, discrimination, or bullying of any kind, including on the basis of any characteristic protected under the Equality Act 2010;
  • intimidating, demeaning, or aggressive behaviour;
  • breaching confidentiality or the Chatham House Rule; and
  • using the collective to pitch, sell, or push your own agenda.

5. Hosts and partners

Hosts are responsible for holding the collective to this Code and running the meeting to the FOCUS model. Expert partners are held to the same standards as everyone else, and to any additional vetting terms agreed with the network. Being a host or partner is a position of trust, not a licence to sell.

6. If something goes wrong

If you experience or witness behaviour that breaks this Code, raise it with your host or contact us directly at [email protected]. We take concerns seriously and will handle them discreetly. Depending on the situation, we may speak with those involved, ask someone to leave a meeting, or withdraw a person's place in the network. Our aim is always to keep the collective safe and the help genuine.

7. The one-pager

A short one-page version of this Code is shared at registration and at meetings. [[ Andrew to confirm / provide: final Chatham House Rule one-pager text ]]