Governance Structures [ was More on Sociocracy
From: Sharon Villines (sharonsharonvillines.com)
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2013 09:44:08 -0800 (PST)
On Jan 8, 2013, at 12:21 PM, Diana Leafe Christian <diana [at] ic.org> wrote:

>          Actually, Lost Valley used consensus decision-making  
> continuously since their founding in 1989, with a combination of whole- 
> group plenary meetings and smaller committees. I know the community  
> well, have visited many times, and know this for a fact. They didn't  
> switch to Sociocracy from "no governance structure" as Sharon writes.

All groups have some kind of structure and most groups that use consensus are 
just like this. 

This is a cobbled together cluster of practices, most adopted from 
parliamentary procedure that do not facilitate or ensure consensus 
decision-making. Parliamentary procedure is designed to structure debate and 
the decision-making process. To keep it orderly.

What I consider a governance structure has methods for both delegating and 
controlling decisions -- of overseeing the results. It ties an organization 
together with principles and methods. More accurately, I could have said an 
"intentionally designed governance structure that has been researched and 
tested."

Although sociocracy is presented as a double structure -- a circle structure 
and an operational structure, I don't find this helpful. It is the same people 
doing different things. It isn't like the US Senate and the Executive Branch 
where one group sets policy and the other implements it.

I see sociocracy is an integrated organizational structure, not just a policy 
decision-making structure of circles.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines, Historic Takoma Park, Washington DC
"Nothing exists without order. Nothing comes into existence without chaos." 
Albert Einstein


  • More on Sociocracy Diana Leafe Christian, January 8 2013
    • Governance Structures [ was More on Sociocracy Sharon Villines, January 8 2013

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