Cohousing-L Mailing List: Confidentiality -- Sharing Information

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

I separated the Confidentiality and Conflict threads because they are really
two different issues. And the "confidentiality" seems really to be sharing
concerns and making decisions more than confidentiality.

> The subject under discussion is whether the
> entire group should be drawn into a conversation about jeopardy to the
> schedule based on our execution of the design development phase.  There is
> disagreement in the team as to what impact member involvement in the design
> development phase has on the schedule.  I think the group is too involved,
> and lacks discipline to make decisions and stick to them.

This is the nub of cohousing. By involving all members in this process, they
learn how to make decisions, how their decisions (or not making decisions)
affect the group, and how to work through individual wants and needs to
strengthen the group. If the group is not realistically involved, you are
setting up poor foundations for a consensual community. If you want a
community, you can't keep secrets or be unrealistic. In the end you will
suffer.

You can define some guidelines about what decisions need to come to the
group and what can be made by the team and the project manager without
consultation. 

A time line is very helpful. Make a very thorough one so you can see how
each decision affects all the others. A one week delay up front can easily
become a three or six month extension of the completion date. And there will
be a million delays that you cannot even predict.

> I present my
> position and related information to the group that we are jeopardizing the
> schedule and budget by continuing to strive for the perfect plan, adding
> features, moving doors and closets and opening walls, and generally by
> having so many home types.

There should be a needlepoint design for pillows for the meeting spaces of
cohousing groups in the design phase that says "Perfection = Delay = Expense
= Loss of Members = Failure of Project."

The number of home types not only delays completion of the planning phase
but will drag down the entire construction phase.  I have a very strange
kitchen because someone in the long line that leads to installation of
cabinets, forgot to look at the elevations for the H units when they changed
the floor plans and ordered cabinets  that would not fit the space.

When a project is behind schedule (which is the definition of project), the
cabinets will be made to fit by the last person in the line who has to meet
the deadline. So they can't be opened? Not the worker's problem and no one
else will notice until you inspect the day before closing.

> Another PM Team member feels that this information is inflammatory, that we
> do not have enough specific information to determine the impact of specific
> changes and delays to the schedule, and that it causes unease in the group
> to point out how we are deviating from our development model.

I wonder how the "specific information" people ever get out of bed. They
will question the alarm clock going off because there is no specific
information that it is working properly. Their favorite line is "There is no
way to know that" by which they mean, we can't take action.

The developer wants you to go forward and will promise the sky. The
contractor wants the job and is convinced there are no limits -- until the
contract is signed and it becomes clear that they didn't read it.

Invite a few construction workers to a meeting and ask them to reminisce
about jobs they have worked and what they think of plans and deadlines. It
will sober up the group very fast.

Cohousing is a very BIG undertaking for architects and contractors. The
multiple personalities and requirements make it unique. As our developer
said, "I've designed and built built multi-unit housing and I've designed
and built  single family houses, but I've never designed and built 43 single
family houses at the same time."

The group has to be realistic and the only way you can expect them to be
realistic is to share the information.

"if you think education is expensive (inflammatory), try the alternative."

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






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