Cohousing-L Mailing List: Sociocracy Q and As: How do we get our project manager on board with sociocracy?

[Dem Steve (dem.steve]

Each month, Sociocracyforall.org hosts an intentional communities
“Advocates” gathering where members from dozens of sociocratically run
communities can share their questions and solutions, about building,
running and supporting intentional communities. Here is a recent question
and some of the responses offered at the Advocates gathering. Interested to
hear your thoughts and ideas. Click here to read more on the Advocates forum
<https://forums.sociocracyforall.org/c/communities-of-practice/intentional-community/14>
.

Q. We are early in our community development and our project manager is
concerned about  the sociocratic decision making process. He is uneasy with
any decisions made outside of an official board. What is your advice?

A. Help the project manager learn more about sociocracy and legal
structure. You could start with these articles:
Legalizing sociocracy: bylaws and governance documents
<https://www.sociocracyforall.org/bylaws/> and The legal documentation of
sociocracy
<https://www.sociocracyforall.org/the-legal-documentation-of-sociocracy/>.

Hire a sociocracy consultant
<https://www.sociocracyforall.org/sociocracy-consultant/> to clarify the
legalese and help you communicate with your property manager.

Our community uses Committee of the Whole and Consent Agenda, two
sociocracy friendly strategies that help us meet legal requirements.

   -

   A Committee of the Whole brings together the people legally responsible
   for decisions and other stakeholders in those decisions. The general
   membership, for example, can serve as the Committee of the Whole for the
   condominium association. Consent decisions made by a Committee of the Whole
   can then become Consent Agenda items for the condominium association, its
   executive board, or any group as appropriate.
   - A Consent Agenda is a meeting practice that groups non-controversial
   and/or routine items in one agenda item. The Consent Agenda can be approved
   quickly in one action and without discussion, rather than deciding each
   item separately. The consent agenda is particularly useful for items that
   have been previously discussed at length, for example in a Committee of the
   Whole.