Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus Decision Making Using a Digital Platform

[David Heimann (heimann]

Hello Liz and everyone,

	I wouldn't like to see the chat feature turned off and unavailable 
in Zoom meeting, since I find it very useful and even an advantage vs. an 
in-person meeting.  Perhaps the facilitator(s) don't need to monitor and 
respond to the chats, except the ones privately to them, leaving the chat 
for responses and comments to the room and for private conversations, 
so the facilitator can concentrate on the flow of the meeting.  If 
someone wants to raise a point for the facilitator to respond to or for 
the group to discuss, they can "raise your hand" and get recognized by the 
facilitator.


Regards,
David Heimann
Jamaica Plain Cohousing



Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2020 11:21:54 -0400
From: Elizabeth Magill <pastorlizm [at] gmail.com>
To: Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Consensus Decision Making Using a Digital Platform
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We are using zoom.

We had the unexpected challenge that our laminated cards are highly
reflective so we couldn't see what color they are. Also we had encouraged
folk to find things at home in the appropriate colors, thinking it would be
fun and funny--which it was--but mama mia you can't see what color a pencil
is on zoom, and red (stop the discussion) and orange (appreciation) look
pretty much exactly the same.

For the easy decisions (approve minutes and approve agenda) we asked "any
objections" after carding so the people on the phone could speak up. For
the hard decision (spend $10,000 on new pathway lighting) we asked the
people on the phone what color their cards were.

While the feedback from the meeting was mostly very positive the
facilitators were quite overwhelmed and we'll do somethings differently
next time.
We had both facilitators helping each other AND side discussions in
chat--we are inclined to turn off chat completely next time. There was no
way to keep up with it as facilitators.
(We'll tell people to text or use slack for their side discussions, which
folks did in our live meetings already.)
Does anyone know how to make it so cohosts can all chat but others cannot?
Also we are thinking two hours is too long, next meeting 1.5 hours max.

AND we are taking advantage of this opportunity to ask what was already out
in the air before this--why do we meet? What do we aim to get from meetings?

Liz
Mosaic Commons in Berlin, MA