Cohousing-L Mailing List: Consenus and Practical decision making

[Ellen Orleans (ellen]

At Wild Sage (under construction, 34 homes), we combine several forms of
decision-making, depending upon what is most appropriate. For instance,
the Process Team sets Meeting agendas without the whole group reaching
consensus about it. This may seem obvious, but it illustrates just one
of the hundreds of decisions that a group makes without consensus.

Often we delegate decisions to teams or entrust a member with a single
decision, such as whether to move our meetings from a church basement to
college cafeteria. When decisions come down to personal taste, sometimes
we use super-majority, which means we need 80% support to pass a
decision.

However, by far the most important aspect of consensus is using it
properly. A group needs to clearly define what a yes vote means, just as
they define Standing Aside and Blocking. Our group has added a neutral
or "whatever" vote, which carries a different tone than standing aside. 

Blocking is often the most difficult part of consensus. At Wild Sage, a
block is only legitimate if the person blocking believes that the
decision goes against the community vision. The Steering Team decides
whether a block is legitimate.

Speaking of community vision, it is in some ways similar to the faith
component of a Quaker Meeting. Does your community have a strong vision
statement? When is the last time you revisited it?

Becky, you wrote <<It's not uncommon for people to want decisions to be
made in a
timely manner.>>  This is true.  To make this happen, I say delegate,
delegate, delegate.  By delegating decisions to teams you gain at least
three benefits.

1) You often reach decisions more quickly and efficiently.

2) Those people who are truly concerned with a decision's outcome can
join the team or subcommittee making the decision. That way, the process
doesn't drain the larger group's energy by forcing members to sit
through debates on matters they don't particularly care about.

3) Your community builds trust. Members learn that most of the time a
team or committee will make a decision that works well for the group,
that most everyone can live with. As trust grows, community work can be
spread out. This spares community energy and lifts sprits. 

Hope this is helpful,

Ellen Orleans
Wild Sage Cohousing (4 homes left for sale, don't miss out....)
Wonderland Hill


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