Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Dealing with self interest VS what's best for everybody

[DebFlint (DebFlint]

In response to Rob Sandelin's query about self-interest:

Coming from the world of community organizing, we take self-interest
seriously, as it is what drives people to act.  We certainly try to draw out
enlightened self-interest, but we find that if our relationships with
community leaders are solid, and we understand their self-interest, we all
can usually find a way to weave them together. 

Our methods for discovering individual self-interest (and then weaving them
all together) include setting aside time at each meeting for people to:
1.  do a round of short, reflective responses to a particular, related
question -- but one that draws out their STORY as a person.
2.  pair off randomly and do Individual Meetings for 10-15 minutes -- again,
maybe in response to a related question.

We also look for opportunities to get people to share their stories as they
relate to the issues we're organizing about.  People feel heard and notice
the remarkable connections among each other.  Those relational connections
are what allows people to form a collective strategy, and to compromise when
necessary.

Hope that's helpful.

Debbie McL.