Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Process cards

[Geraldine Hughes (GeraldineHughes]

I also am really enjoying this thread, so much so that I decided to make my
first contribution to the list!

We use the coloured cards at all our Full Group Meetings, which are
generally held fortnightly.  Some of our task / focus groups use them too,
others not.

Personally, as one of our facilitators in Full Group Meetings I think the
cards work best when most people are familiar with them and this takes
practice and it also requires the whole group to be willing to use them.
When we first began it was certainly frustrating, figuring out which one to
use in order to say what and more so to be able to remember who's turn to
speak next it was!

We began using them when I think, there were about a dozen of us meeting
regularly, and we had each meaning written on each card plus a large poster
for the wall.  This poster became a hassle as it was often forgotten and we
relied on it for new people to be able to follow what we were doing.

Now when a new person comes to a meeting we have an A4 sheet with the chart
for them to follow.  As far as usage, we found that practice really does
make perfect!  well easier anyway.

Of course there were and are still, though not to any great degree still,
members who preferred not to use them.  That required the facilitator to be
quite stroppy with non-users and eventually we all use them.

It was certainly easier to begin with that the group was smaller and I am in
favour of the cards being used in smaller task / focus groups as its an
easier often less threatening place for newer poeople to practice.

Being way down here on the other side of the globe, and also the first coho
group in NZ,  I also love the idea that other cohousing groups are using
this method of running groups.  It's part of what makes me feel as though
I'm connected to the wider network.

Geraldine Hughes
Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood
in-residence-for-4-months
www.earthsong.pl.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maggi Rohde" <maggi [at] intranet.org>
To: "Cohousing List" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 3:01 AM
Subject: [C-L]_Process cards


>
> I am really enjoying this conversation on group process!  Thanks to
> everyone who has contributed.
>
> Those of you who use the colored process cards in your group: could you
> speak a bit about your impression of these?  I am assuming they are not
> really needed before a group reaches a certain size.  I like the cards in
> theory, but would like to hear about the practice.  Thanks in advance!
>
> Maggi Rohde, Children's Librarian
> Canton Public Library, MI
> maggi [at] intranet.org
>
> _______________________________________________
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