Cohousing-L Mailing List: Using Professionals to Help Define Decision-Making Processes

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> heard many comments at the North American Cohousing Conference last summer
> about how important it is for new groups to get focused training in group
> process and decision-making, and how overlooking that while focusing on
> site planning leads to lots of regrets and problems later.

After years of participating in cooperative and consensus groups the first
thing that convinced me that the cohousing movement was worth taking
seriously was the frequent use of professionals in all areas of planning and
functioning -- from defining decision making process to designing the
commonhouse. 

It is very hard for a group of people who are new to each other and to the
cohousing to participate fully and equally in the process. It is equally
difficult for the more experienced members of the group not to take the lead
or to become impatient as less experienced members catch up. A professional
facilitator, particularly one familiar with the joint responsibilities of
real estate management and community building, can level the playing field
and rise above the perfectly normal anxieties of experienced and
inexperienced group members.

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


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