Re: Sociocracy and blocking | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: R Philip Dowds (rpdowdscomcast.net) | |
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:25:36 -0700 (PDT) |
For a decade, Cornerstone Cohousing has followed its own, unique version of a consensus process ending in a "decision rule" of unconditional, unilateral, blocking — that is, if any individual says "I block", then it's game over. Our Bylaws don't exactly describe it this way, but that's how we've been operating. We do allow for an escape hatch. If, after three Plenaries (meetings of the entire community), we still have one or more people blocking, then, by consent of 2/3rds, we can go to a series of majority rule votes. At the 1st, the affirmation threshold is 90%; at the 2nd, 70%; and finally, at the 3rd, 50%. Needless to say, this six meeting process is so cumbersome, time-consuming and painful it is never used. In practical effect, one single person can thwart indefinitely the interests of a very substantial majority. Thus we often find ourselves bogged down in an unfixable status quo where many proposals are not even tried, because it seems like all you get for your effort is disappointment and anger. C T Butler, of course, does not recognize individual blocking. In his universe, the "block" is owned by the group as a whole, after a good faith process fails to resolve important objections. Further, the latest thinking in Sociocracy is that a "decision rule" requiring unanimity, as the outcome of a consensus effort, is inappropriate for cohousing. The good news is that, after about a half year of work by a core group of reformers, our Plenary has just agreed (by its old-style consensus) to suspend our Bylaws so we can try out a six-month experiment of modified consensus procedures and decision rules. We'll keep you posted ... R Philip Dowds AIA Cornerstone Cohousing 175 Harvey Street, Unit 5 Cambridge, MA 02140 617.354.6094 On Apr 18, 2012, at 11:57 PM, Richart Keller wrote: > > > > I wonder how many (and which) communities currently have consensus with no > recourse if someone blocks? > > Whether or not they do have such recourse (and I suspect that most do, at > least on paper) in the rare cases where someone "blocks" an important > decision, it may be important for the community to spend the time giving > extra consideration to the concerns expressed for several reasons: > > 1. to be clear that there is a thorough community-wide understanding > of the basis for the concern so that the outcome is well- > grounded--including in its rational and emotional dimensions, > 2. by such consideration, to acknowledge and respect the consensus > process, and > 3. to use the opportunity to strengthen relationships within the > community. > > A healthy community should be a continuing, central goal in any > decision-making process. > > As someone who has grown up with, excercised, and facilitated consensus and > consenus-like decision making, I have certainly experienced the frustration > and sometimes seemingly inordinate time required to make an important > decision. At the same time, I know from experience that successful > communities are in it "for the long haul" and that the learning and > relationship-building that goes on in almost all cases benefits the > community and the individuals in it. The pressures to make efficient > decisions are powerful, but we must not let them over-ride the movement > toward a peaceful and just world. > > In community > > Rick > > > > Richart Keller, AICP > Pioneer Valley Cohousing > 120 Pulpit Hill Road #25 > Amherst, MA 01002 > 413-835-0011 > 401 486-2677 (cell) > (richart.keller [at] gmail.com) > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Fred H Olson [mailto:fholson [at] cohousing.org] > Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 12:09 PM > To: Cohousing-L mailing list > Subject: [C-L]_ Sociocracy Workshop in Maine > > > > Diana Leafe Christian <diana [at] ic.org> > is the author of the message below. It was posted by > Fred, the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> after > restoring > subject line from "digest" and deleting quoted digest. Digest subscribers, > Please try to remember to do this. Fred > -------------------- FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS -------------------- Re > Sociocracy workshop at Belfast Cohousing > > Hello, > > I'm so glad the folks at Belfast Cohousing (many of whom I've met and like a > lot) are going to learn the Sociocracy governance and decision- making > method in their April 27-29 workshop with John Buck. John is the man who > learned to read Dutch so he could write about it in English, in the book We > the People, which he co-authored with Sharon Villines. > > AND I'm so glad Belfast Cohousing is inviting other cohousers to join the > workshop. I highly recommend Sociocracy for cohousing communities. I believe > it's far more effective and fulfilling than consensus decision-making, which > I taught for years. > > If you're in the New England or Northeast US area (or in Quebec or > Toronto) I urge you to consider attending Belfast Cohousing's Sociocracy > workshop. Here's the link: http://mainecohousing.org > > I just taught an introductory Sociocracy workshop to my community (Earthaven > Ecovillage in North Carolina), and the people who attended loved the idea of > trying Sociocracy instead of what we have now: consensus-with-unanimity, > with no recourse if someone blocks. > > Right on, Belfast Cohousing! > > Diana Leafe Christian > > > http://www.DianaLeafeChristian.org > http://www.EcovillageNews.org > http://www.Earthaven.org > > _________________________________________________________________ > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ > >
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Sociocracy Workshop in Maine Fred H Olson, April 10 2012
- Re: Sociocracy Workshop in Maine Sharon Villines, April 10 2012
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Sociocracy Workshop in Maine Fred H Olson, April 12 2012
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Sociocracy and blocking Richart Keller, April 18 2012
- Re: Sociocracy and blocking R Philip Dowds, April 19 2012
- Re: Sociocracy and blocking Lautner, Patricia, April 19 2012
- Re: Sociocracy and blocking Sharon Villines, April 19 2012
- Re: Sociocracy and blocking drmaryanngroups, April 19 2012
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Sociocracy and blocking Richart Keller, April 18 2012
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