Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Stand Aside - Consensus - The Big Picture

[Mmariner (Mmariner]

As I understand it, from the folks who've been living with consensus decision
making for quite some time, it's highly important that the whole group
consense to a major direction, expressing fundamental values and a general
direction the group wants to go in.

After the direction is consensed upon, a group or an individual is empowered
to make lots of small decisions about various purchases, etc., required to
implement the group's consensus direction.

For instance:

Perhaps the group would consense to have community gardens and greenhouses
farmed as sustainably and organically as possible within a certain amount of
allocated funds.

Then the committee (or individual) delegated to implement the gardens and
greenhouses would make some decisions such as whether the purchase of a
rototiller was a good investment and supported the goals consensed upon.

I've heard it's counter-productive to try to consense upon all the minor
details of any given project  (thereby micro-managing and disempowering those
responsible).

Disclaimer:  The above is theory.  I have some experience in consensus
decision making, but not in a coho community!  Do other folks agree consensus
should not be used in relatively low-level decisions, unless there is a huge
passion of the group?

Mike M