Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Sociocracy

[Ed Stauff (edward.stauff]

I wrote:
> > The Top Circle has *way* too much power, and the membership has no 
> > real way to remove the Top Circle if they feel it is failing them.

Sheila Braun replied:
> This is a misunderstanding of sociocracy. It is the membership that puts 
> the Top Circle in place. Of course it can dissolve it. All it takes is a
> well-written proposal that meets with no reasoned & paramount objection.
 
> > I also want to point out that while every member has the right to *ask* 
> > to be part of any decision, the circle which is making that decision 
> > has the right to deny the request.
 
> This is technically true, but way oversimplified. A facilitator can keep
> someone out of a decision only with justification 

> > Worse, the Top Circle has the right to change
> > the rules as it sees fit -- whether the rest of the membership likes 
> > it or not.
 
> Um, no, not at all. I'm not sure where this idea comes from. The whole
> membership agrees to the rules (or not), and in fact signs them and
> registers them with the State of Vermont. Any changes must be ratified by the
> whole group. 

I stand by my original statements as representative of *MY* experience 
with sociocracy.  As I said before, your mileage may vary.  Clearly, 
you've had a different experience.  My point is that it's important to 
read the fine print carefully in any decision-making process, sociocratic 
or otherwise, consider how it could be abused, and adjust it to meet the 
need of your group.  *Any* process can be abused, and it's all about 
tradeoffs.

-- Ed

+---------------+---------------------------------+------------------+
| Edward Stauff | Software engineer, bibliophile, | "Specialization  |
| ed [at] mewsic.com | musician, lexophile, cohouser,  | is for insects." |
| Fitchburg, MA | ferroequinologist, woodworker,  | -- Lazarus Long  |
|     WA1ZBR    | husband, dad. (Order varies.)   | (R. A. Heinlein) |
+---------------+---------------------------------+------------------+
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