The mining industry more than ever needs to understand what good social performance means and how to do it. Mining companies face increasing regulatory requirements, distrust from communities how they manage social, environmental and safety impacts, and growing pressure from end users in the technology sector to deliver responsibly mined raw materials. These demands are not going away. Mining companies must respond by acknowledging the concerns, being transparent in their operations, and by engaging with humility with communities and stakeholders. To do this, companies require the right set of skills and expertise and an organized professional approach based on sound methodologies. CITATION: Flynn, S A, 2019. Principles for social performance in mining, in Proceedings PACRIM 2019, pp 2325 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).