Cohousing-L Mailing List: Problematic Controlling Personalities and Cohousing

[Tonka444 (Tonka444]

Hi everyone:

     Greater Hartford Cohousing is moving towards acquiring a site in the 
Greater Hartford area with the help of our consultants who have the duel 
perspective of building a cohousing community and living in one.

    We have a problem.  Interpersonal conflicts are starting to cause 
problems within our process.  When you are sitting in a meeting, and one 
member is fuming inside at another, the whole group feels it.  Then we have 
one or two members who try to dominate the entire group....going off on their 
own tangents without the group's consent and this too is creating conflict.  

     Our consultants think that we need to put into place a mediation process 
for people to deal with interpersonal conflicts that are affecting the entire 
group.  If anyone is willing to share the process for mediation in your 
community, that would be appreciated.    Our membership committee is taking 
on the task of mediation along with all the other outreach/slide show/etc. 
etc. tasks.

     I realize that in a cohousing community of 30 households, everyone is 
not going to like everyone.  But I guess at the beginning of this interesting 
trip, I thought the road would be a little easier!

     Thanks for input,

     Shelly DeMeo
     Greater Hartford Cohousing
      Where we finally have some competition as to who will be the first built
      cohousing community...  Southern CT Cohousing is on our heels!!!