Consensus process - decisions/changes
From: Barbara Lynch (dancerbarbphch.org)
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 17:32:17 -0800 (PST)
Tree Breeson wrote:  I don't expect a substantive proposal to pass without
modification, unless it's already been discussed a bunch at previous
meetings. 

At Pleasant Hill Cohousing where we have 45 adults and have lived here 4 and
a half years, one of the tools we use to move toward consensus is a
"distillery".  A committee (perhaps an individual) might schedule a meeting
on a topic (distillery), encouraging those especially interested to attend.
Lots of brainstorming takes place.  The committee then writes a proposal,
posts it at least a week before the HOA meeting where it is scheduled to be
discussed and maybe consensed upon.  This helps assure that the major
stakeholders have their concerns addressed in the proposal.

Alternatively, a committee might write a proposal, then bring it to a
distillery, modify it, then bring it to HOA meeting.  Sometimes it takes 2-3
distilleries for the proposal to get written at all.  There are several
other combinations of distilleries and discussions at full HOA meetings.
And, of course, there is an abundance of emails and face-to-face
conversations.

The idea is to give everyone plenty of opportunity to voice their concerns
and generally give input, long before a proposal comes up for consensus.  We
don't use this for every proposal, but almost always for controversial ones.

 

Barbara Lynch
Pleasant Hill Cohousing in Pleasant Hill, CA
Cohousing/US Board member

 

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