Re: Cohousing-L Digest, Vol 204, Issue 3
From: Diana Leafe Christian (dianaic.org)
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2021 22:44:29 -0800 (PST)
Hello everyone,
     I'm offering two free public online sociocracy classes coming up soon that 
show how sociocracy works and how it can benefit cohousing communities, 
including two useful, good-will meeting processes people can use in meetings, 
even if they don't use sociocracy as a whole. 
      The first free overview class is Thursday, January 14 (5-6:30 Pacific 
Time, 6-7:30 Mountain, 7-8:30 Central, 8-9:30 Eastern). Besides offering an 
overview of sociocracy, we'll practice an easy, fair, transparent process for 
selecting people for roles, which can be used to select roles for the whole 
community, or a committee or team.
        The second overview class is Saturday, January 16 (10-11:30 Pacific 
Time, 11-12:30 Mountain, 12 noon -1:30 Central, 1-2:30 Eastern). Besides the 
sociocracy overview, we'll explore an easy, transparent good-will way to help 
people enhance and develop their skills in the roles they've been chosen for. 
       These two processes, Selecting People for Roles and Role-Improvement 
Feedback, go together and mutually benefit and reinforce each other.
       People are welcome to attend both classes. 
       I'm offering these two events to help cohousers get a sense of 
sociocracy and a sense of my upcoming 10-week online Sociocracy Training, Feb. 
8-Apr 12. To register for one or both of these free short classes and get the 
Zoom link and handouts, let me know at diana [at] ic.org. 
     To register for the online sociocracy training, 
https://tinyurl.com/SociocracyFeb2021      
>      I'm also responding to Martie Weatherly's post about consensus and 
> sociocracy. I certainly agree that, "communities that struggle with consensus 
> have lost connection with the basics of consensus . . . (including) being 
> able to set aside a block from a member based on purely personal values, not 
> what is best for the community." 
>      I wish every community using consensus knew this! Knew that it IS 
> legitimate in consensus to seriously examine someone's reasons for blocking a 
> proposal. To determine formally whether their block is based on their own 
> personal preferences or because passing the proposal would violate the 
> community's stated values and purpose, and the blocker clearly demonstrates 
> this, perhaps citing the community's shared agreements and/or statements on 
> their website. Sadly, many communities don't know this, and their members 
> experience the disappointment of one or two members blocking a proposal that 
> most others want because of purely personal preferences. And sometimes, doing 
> this repeatedy.    
>       Re Martie's comment, "(in consensus) . . . everyone comes into the room 
> ready to work out their issues for what is best for the community at that 
> time," in my experience that's not always the case. While this is what people 
> using consensus are _supposed_ to do, often not everyone in a community 
> meeting steps up to a higher and more noble consciousness to value the good 
> of the community more than their own preferred strategy for how the proposal 
> can solve a problem or make things easier. It just takes one or two community 
> members _not_ willing to work out their differing views on the issue for the 
> good of the community to do personal-preference blocking. 
        This is one of the reasons that as a long-time consensus trainer and 
facilitator I now advocate and teach sociocracy instead. Its seven parts 
working together that enhance group cooperation, and its checks and balances 
that reduce power-over behaviors, are based on how human nature actually is, 
rather than on how human nature would be if only we all could step up to a 
higher consciousness. Best of all, each person's viewpoint and their reasons 
for it are illuminated in each of sociocracy's meeting processes, so we don't 
lose the opportunity, as Martie notes, to bring out conflicting strategies so 
creative solutions can arise.
      Diana Leafe Christian
> 
Martie Weatherly wrote:
> 
> I am replying to Chris Herndon's post where I have removed portions not 
> pertinent to what I am commenting on. 
> 
> It is great for your community to try sociocracy for two years. However, I 
> want to correct the statement 
> "it addresses power/control dynamics that can exist when someone blocks a 
> proposal
>> through the consensus method. Sociocracy is about getting things done in an
>> effective manner whilst maintaining good vibes amongst the community."
> 
> Consensus is a decision making process. I suggest that our communities that 
> struggle with consensus have lost connection with the basics of consensus - 
> that everyone comes into the room ready to work out their issues for what is 
> best for the community at that time. That includes being able to set aside a 
> block from a member based on purely personal values, not what is best for the 
> community. Consensus takes work and attention and energy. It is all about 
> enhancing our relationships with each other which is why it appeals to 
> cohousers. And it isnt all good vibes as consensus welcomes conflict which is 
> not easy for us in this culture. By bringing out the conflict, creative 
> solutions can come forth. 
> 
> But when you harness the power and excitement of listening to each other and 
> coming up with a solution that has 100% implementation, that is what 
> cohousing and consensus are all about. 
> 
> Martie Weatherly
> Liberty Village, Frederick MD
> 
> Health and Wellness Coach
> Consensus Coach
> coachmartie.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
>> 
>> Hello Everyone ~
>> 
>> This is my first time posting so I hope it goes through okay!
>> 
>> I was excited to see Diana Leafe Christian's invitation to her online
>> course on Sociocracy for Intentional Communities. I lived in an intentional
>> community in Oakland, CA and am starting a village-style intentional
>> community in the Pacific Northwest (USA) with 9 others. Two of us from this
>> new group took the course. Based on our lived experience and research on
>> governance and decision making methods, we decided to move forward with
>> learning Sociocracy. Our group has decided to try Sociocracy for the next 2
>> years which came out of the proposal forming process we learned from Diana.
>> It's likely the remaining folks in our group attend the upcoming course in
>> February! Very excited!
>> 
>> I highly recommend it for multiple reasons, but mainly it addresses
>> power/control dynamics that can exist when someone blocks a proposal
>> through the consensus method. Sociocracy is about getting things done in an
>> effective manner whilst maintaining good vibes amongst the community. The
>> other reason is because of how thoughtful Diana's approach to teaching is -
>> she tends to the various learning styles, shares many stories and the group
>> had the opportunity to practice real-time. All of this resulting in what I
>> would consider a highly effective training.
>> 
>> I'll be participating again in the upcoming course to continue to deepen my
>> knowledge base and understanding of Sociocracy. Hope to see you in February!
>> 


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