Cohousing-L Mailing List: Community building: process vs. business

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

At Sharingwood, (and I think from the last round of meeting process 
postings this has a wider audience) we seem to be continually 
struggling with the balance of business vs. process.  On the one hand 
business items are sometimes critical decisions which can't be delayed. 
On the other hand without process, decisions become harder to make, or 
sometimes we make bad decisions based on process which doesn't work, or 
by ignoring process people and group problems develop.

In my own personal search for more information on this balance I have 
come across a very interesting article which I would recommend.  It is 
in Communities: journal of cooperative living,  No. 80/81  
Spring/Summer 1993, by Margo Adair entitled From Leadership to 
Empowerment, pages 67-72.

I would be interested in any other articles, books or references which 
give ideas about this balance in small group work.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood