Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Sociocracy Q and As: How do we get our project manager

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:32:12 -0400
> From: Dem Steve <dem.steve [at] sociocracyforall.org>
> 
> 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?

Reassure them that in fact this is how most condominiums function. All 
decisions are delegated to an elected board of a few members. The board is then 
in charge of any interactions with the project manager. Your state laws may 
also assume or require this structure. But in cohousing, whether the 
sociocratic decision-making structure is used or not, decisions are shared with 
all community members in one way or another. The Board, if there is one, is not 
given authority to decide everything themselves.

But it is important that the project manager has defined decision-making 
contact(s) to make the process manageable. They have to know who to listen to 
and who is communicating for the group. Who can they trust to be communicating 
accurately? They also cannot spend their time running around trying to find out 
who said what or who thinks what or whether the decision was made or not. And 
who do they report the need for alterations because something isn’t working?

One side of decision-making is policy; the other operations. The project 
manager is responsible for the operations and needs clear communications with a 
person who is authorized to communicate the policy decisions made by the 
community.

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