Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Bylaws, Policies & Agreements

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Nov 10, 2014, at 7:47 PM, R Philip Dowds <rpdowds [at] comcast.net> wrote:

> enforcement is lax, memories are short, and buy-in is sometimes grudging.  In 
> any event, our amended consensus process now allows for something else we 
> call ...

I've discovered there are two kinds of people. Those who read the rules and 
think they are to be followed, and those who do what others do and are 
oblivious of anything written. They aren't breaking the rules; they think the 
operative rules are what people do, not what they write down.

The best enforcement is transparency, which works wonders, and automatic 
enforcement. Something that automatically happens when X is done or not done. 
If condo payments are not received, a late fee is automatically charged. A 
quarterly fee is charged for any unreported workshare hours unless a prior 
arrangement has been made.

> Guidelines.  Guidelines are recommendations for “best practices” issued by a 
> committee.

Guidelines is a very tricky word and a very tricky practice. "Guidelines" mean 
to the majority of people, things that can be ignored. They don't even read 
them. "Agreements" may be better. Then you can say "we agreed to this." But to 
say that, the person the agreements applied to must have been allowed to 
consent.

Guidelines to most people is a wiggle word. It means what they want it to mean.

Our lawyer defines policies as legally enforceable. Guidelines are not.

For a team to write policies for themselves, is one thing. If a team can write 
either policies or guidelines for others to follow -- people who have no input 
-- the chances of adherence are small, unless the policies are so obvious they 
didn't even need to be written in the first place.

I know a person who will work forever to make statement as non-autocratic as 
possible and thus neutralizes any statement. "If condo fees are not received by 
the 15th of the month, an affordable fee will be charged." She would change it 
to, "If a condo fee might not have been received by the middle of the month a 
late fee might be charged if necessary."

And there are also instructions that some believe are guidelines.  We have sign 
posters. Everything should have a sign. Everything! I'm an anti-sign person. I 
think signs are institutional and only necessary when something is not 
obviously dangerous -- a hot pipe where it shouldn't be. A step where it 
shouldn't be. Or  instructions that may be helpful -- on the sanitizer that has 
three knobs to turn, not just the one on/off knob. If people don't follow 
instructions, it can be dangerous to everyone.

I guess I'm saying be very clear on your definitions. And follow accepted 
practices or industry definitions. Our condo law has pages of definitions. 
Yours probably does to.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org