Re: Question about Consent Governance | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Heimann (heimanntheworld.com) | |
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2018 12:33:08 -0700 (PDT) |
Hello Everyone,Practically every time where someone raises a significant objection to a proposal or situation, emotions will rise to the fore and, even after all is said and done, hard feelings will remain. After all, some people may now be facing risks they did not themselves or the community to assume, some people may be feeling blocked from taking proper care of their children, some people may feel that others are now getting a free ride, some people may feel that other people hijacked a crucial meeting, and/or other sore feelings. Just because the objection has been resolved or bypassed in some way, shape, or form, doesn't mean that the community can simply move on. Hard feelings can persist for months or years and pop up again in the most inopportune circumstances.
We have tried and are trying various means to address and resolve such hard feelings:
* Having a workshop or discussion on the subject during our annual Community Life Workday. * Having a community conversation, listening circle, or healing circle on the issue.* Having individuals work the conflict with each other with the assistance of our Conflict Prevention and Resolution group, or having an individual work the conflict they are having with a committee at a (possibly facilitated) meeting of that committee.
* Having people discuss the matter informally at community meals and social activities or while "around the campus".
Some of these have worked wonderfully well, others less so. However, they have all worked much better than ignoring the emotions and trying to sweep them under the rug. As we mature as a community, we see what works better when, and try new approaches as appropriate. To my mind, it's working.
Regards, David Heimann Jamaica Plain Cohousing Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2018 07:37:27 -0400 From: Patti Lautner <lautnerp [at] gmail.com> To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Question about Consent Governance Message-ID: <7F7AEABC-4EB2-4BEF-AD9E-8CF7FAE7767C [at] gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 The important piece that seems to be missing in the story described by Philip is the REASON for the block. In a true consensus model, a block may only happen if the blocker can show that they are protecting one of the community?s commonly held values. The blocker must describe convincingly to the plenary that it is in the best interest of the community to block and that the common value must be protected above what might seem like popular opinion. If the blocker can not convince the community that the decision goes against a common value, then the block is simply not allowed. Even mature communities like ours, (13+ years since move in, 18 years since starting), need to be reminded occasionally that conensues means to give permission, not total agreement, and that blocks may only happen to protect a commonly held value. We have our values list lovingly displayed in our common house and we confirm, ratify, and consider changing this list annually at one of our retreats. I would love to discuss more should anyone want to reach out. Best, Patti JPCohousing Boston Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 17, 2018, at 7:17 AM, Dick Margulis <dick [at] dmargulis.com> wrote: The issue Philip identifies is what had our group in nearly complete paralysis for a couple of years, trying mightily but unsuccessfully to move forward using formal consensus. Sociocracy set us free. Strip away all of the specific procedures and processes and structures of sociocracy and just focus on the concept of consent that it embodies: 1. The proposal belongs to the circle with the authority to act on it, not to the individual or circle that brings it. 2. The proposal includes what amounts to a sunset clause: when will we review it to see if it's working as planned or needs further tweaking, and by what explicit criteria will we make that judgment? 3. To decide whether to object, you ask yourself whether the proposal is safe enough to try and good enough for now, whether it is consistent with agreed community values, and whether you can live with it. You don't ask whether the proposal is perfect, because you know we will revisit it later (see number 2). 4. If you don't have a reasoned objection but still feel that something is amiss that needs to be resolved, the circle's job is to help you put your finger on the problem and articulate it so that it can be examined in light of those decision criteria. If your initially inchoate objection has been developed into a reasoned objection, then more work is needed on the proposal to resolve that objection, and good for you for bringing it. If not, then the facilitator will likely ask you to stand aside. The better we get at using sociocracy--especially the better we get at internalizing number 1, above--the more efficient our meetings become and the faster we can get to a decision on a proposal. And the active listening involved in number 4 has kept us honest: people who are not necessarily very articulate nonetheless feel heard; we've had any number of instances where a little niggle that's bothering one quiet person has resulted in major reshaping of a proposal once the group teased out the real nature of the objection. Dick http://www.rockycorner.org/On 7/17/2018 6:26 AM, Philip Dowds via Cohousing-L wrote: So here?s the issue, really: Let?s say a controversial proposal has arrived at plenary. The whole community has faithfully followed its formal consensus process. After several months of hard work, inside and outside of plenary, the proposal has been significantly modified, and now almost everyone feels his/her concern or objection has been adequately addressed. Except, maybe, for one person.
- Re: Question about Consent Governance, (continued)
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Re: Question about Consent Governance Brian Bartholomew, July 17 2018
- Re: Question about Consent Governance Philip Dowds, July 17 2018
- Question about Consent Governance Chris Terbrueggen, July 17 2018
- Re: Question about Consent Governance Alan O'Hashi, July 18 2018
- Re: Question about Consent Governance David Heimann, July 20 2018
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Re: Question about Consent Governance Sharon Villines, October 23 2018
- Re: Question about Consent Governance Philip Dowds, October 24 2018
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Re: Question about Consent Governance Brian Bartholomew, July 17 2018
- Re: Question about Consent Governance Karen Gimnig, October 24 2018
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