Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: "Managing Outbursts in Meetings" (Lynn Nadeau)

[Don Westlight (westligh]

Lynn,

At Cascadia Commons we've added a "purple card" to our concensus card ring.  
The card was designed as a way to help people vent effectively, and to affirm 
group process.  The way it works is as follows:  Someone, anyone, can have a 
strong feeling or issue which prevents them from partricipating, rather than 
making up some sort of rationalization, they can simply hold up the purple 
"feeling" card.  When whoever is speaking finishes, the facilitator calls on 
the the purple card first.  The purple card person gets to make "I feel ____" 
statements, and when finished, a random person in the group volunteers to 
paraphrase back.  We've found that in all cases, purple cards should be 
paraphrased as this has the primary function of ensuring that the person is 
heard, and the secondary function of limiting frivolous use of the card.  With 
practice, the whole thing can take two minutes, and then the meeting is right 
back into normal process.

This works pretty well for us.

Don Westlight
Cascadia Commons
Portland OR.


>Date: Fri, 12 Apr 02 16:38:05 -0700
>From: Lynn Nadeau <welcome [at] olympus.net>
>Subject: [C-L]_Managing Outbursts in Meetings
>...
>One idea I have is that when someone has an up-welling of such an 
>emotional commentary, they signal their distress (waving hands in air, 
>like Stop! Stop!) and choose someone to step outside with them, hear 
>their venting, and then return to the group with them (or without) and 
>"translate" the concern back to the group, minus the emotional overlay. 
>Help! I need a translator!" 
>...

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