Re: A Glimps of Cohousing in 2060
From: Patricia Lautner (lautnerpjpcohousing.org)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 04:49:57 -0800 (PST)
Blocking is a tool that must be available when making decisions by
consensus.  However, sometimes someone will block to push a personal agenda
forward or because something about the process is not working well and the
member wants to block - which is another way of saying, "STOP".  These are
dynamics that can usually be handled by a skilled facilitator.  However,
there needs to be some guidelines that a member must follow before
preventing a decison that has the support of the group to go forward.  We
use the values list.

We site our common values during the process of writing and presenting
proposals.  Although there is always room for improvement, we are very
careful to make sure that we look to the common values with all community
decisions.  Personally, this feels very safe to me.  When I signed up for
cohousing, I was agreeing to these values (that we developed together) and
nothing more - nothing less.

All the best,

Patti Lautner
JPCohousing - Boston
www.communitasdevelopment.com

On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 8:00 PM, Elizabeth Magill <pastorlizm [at] gmail.com>
wrote:

>
> Well, I'm not sure why we want to "avoid a blocker scenario". Presumably
> blocks are because a person is concerned that it is a good decision? I'd
> like to see us more willing to work through the objections than to find
> ways to avoid having blocks.
>
> In my experience the question "what is the community value you are
> protecting" can be used as well as any other question to pressure a blocker
> to conform with the group.
>
> Do you ask all presenting proposals to describe what community value they
> are protecting?
>
> (Writing this makes me realize that I'm certainly holding a grudge that I
> need to get over, but if you can try to see through my tone--I do think
> that we need to see blocking as contributing to decision making, not
> conflicting with decision making.)
>
> -Liz
> (The Rev.) Elizabeth M. Magill
> www.worcesterfellowship.org
> www.mosaic-commons.org
> 508-450-0431
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 5, 2015, at 6:57 PM, Patricia Lautner <lautnerp [at] jpcohousing.org>
> wrote:
>
> >
> > I really believe it's possible to avoid the 'blocker' scenario so long as
> > your community has a strict practice that a block must only happen to
> > protect a commonly held value.  In our community, this is understood so
> > well that blocking almost never comes up.  And when it does, the blocker
> is
> > gently reminded and urged to explain to the community what common value
> > they are protecting.  Usually at that point the blocker will say that
> they
> > probably can't block but they feel strongly or something like that.
> (What
> > happens next is entirely dependent on the skill of the facilitator
> >
> > Patti Lautner
> > JPCohousing - Boston
> > www.communitasdevelopment.com
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 6:38 PM, Carol Agate <carolagate [at] me.com> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Sharon,
> >>
> >> What if it’s always the same few people who block?
> >>
> >> Carol
> >> Cornerstone Village, Cambridge
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Dec 24, 2014, at 11:33 AM, Sharon Villines <
> sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Dec 24, 2014, at 8:44 AM, R Philip Dowds <rpdowds [at] comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Said another way … I agree that toleration of diversity and the end of
> >> oppression are much to be desired.  But I’m not convinced that consensus
> >> decision-making is the key to this challenge.
> >>>
> >>> If it is used as an opportunity to understand and allow for diversity,
> >> it can be. When objections are taken seriously and resolved instead of
> >> submerged or over powered.
> >>>
> >>> Unfortunately, subversion or overpowering is to often used, consciously
> >> or unconsciously. The majority wants you to consent for the "good of the
> >> community," one of my pet peeves. The "good of the community" is most
> often
> >> raised when the majority unites against the "holdouts" or the
> "blockers."
> >> Is it ever defined before discussion starts?
> >>>
> >>> That is one reason why I would like to see preference ratings use more
> >> often. Even if it isn't used to make the final decision, it can be very
> >> revealing of where individuals stand on a spectrum of I can live with
> this
> >> or I think this is a good idea.
> >>>
> >>> Sharon
> >>> ----
> >>> Sharon Villines
> >>> Sociocracy: A Deeper Democracy
> >>> http://www.sociocracy.info
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _________________________________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
>
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