Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus decision making

[Racheli Gai (racheli]

It seems to me to be important to define what is meant by the term 
"effective":
Is an effective community one which makes decision fast? Is it one where
decisions, once reached, are embraced by the whole community and 
therefore
are carried out effectively, or? ...

I think that a high level of trust is a precondition for high level of 
delegation
(so that decision are seen as supporting the whole community, not this 
or that
faction).  If this is missing, delegating becomes very problematic.

Racheli (Sonora Cohousing, Tucson).



On Aug 4, 2008, at 7:18 PM, Craig Ragland wrote:

> Here Here Joani!
>
> My opinion is that more effective cohousing groups using consensus do
> delegate LOTS of decision-making - especially ones requiring detailed 
> study
> and understanding. I believe a common misunderstanding about consensus 
> is
> that ALL decisions MUST involve EVERYBODY in decision-making process.
>
> When individuals and sub-groups are appropriately empowered, they 
> increase
> their effectiveness as they create plans that are both (1) consistent 
> with
> their mandate and (2) that truly serve the broader group - including 
> those
> with minority views.
>
> Craig
>
> On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 6:49 PM, Joani Blank <joani [at] swansway.com> wrote:
>
> > Friends,
> >
> > Here's part of an email exchange I had with Tim Mensch about his
> > recent post on this subject:
> >
> > A good agenda or steering committee will only put on the table/agenda
> > for general community meetings, items of some significance that
> > really need community buy-in to be effective.  In the example you
> > gave (leaky roof damaging some of the common property), a committee
> > (Maintenance, perhaps) can have blanket authorization in advance to
> > arrange a repair in such an emergency.
> >
> > Here at Swan's Market Cohousing (Oakland, CA), individuals and
> > committees are authorized (by consensus) to make decisions about all
> > manner of things after there has been an opportunity in the general
> > community meeting for a variety of views on the proposal to be
> > presented, and sometimes a straw vote to get the "sense of the
> > meeting."  This seems to work fine, giving everyone who has an
> > opinion, a chance to have their say on the matter (and to be
> > respectfully heard), and not tying the whole community up on matters
> > where it really doesn't matter if one or two people object, even
> > strongly object, to what will probably be the decision made by the
> > individual or committee that's been authorized to make that decision.
> >
> > Joani
> >
> > Joani Blank
> > land line : 510-834-7399 (preferred)
> > cell: 510-387-1315
> > Swan's Market Cohousing.
> >
> > P Save Trees ...please don't print this e-mail unless you really need 
> > to.
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> Craig Ragland
>
> Coho/US executive director
> http://www.cohousing.org
> craig [at] cohousing.org
>
> Please try email first, include your phone number (w/time zone) - or 
> give me
> a call: 425-487-3550 (Pacific)... communicate!
> _________________________________________________________________
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