Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Formal Consensus, passivity & groupthink

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Jul 18, 2004, at 11:27 PM, Norm Gauss wrote:
>

> In this model, groupthink is more likely to occur, because in the
> environment of passivity  there is no compelling reason for people to 
> get
> involved.

Group think is actually more pernicious than this. It does not result 
from passivity but from active putting forward in a point of view that 
is unquestioned. I find that it is not passivity but bullying and 
wishful thinking that lead to group think much more than lack of 
participation. Groupthink is a very strong run at a brick wall, not a 
drifting toward it.

> We at Oak Creek Commons actively seek members approval by asking for 
> "thumbs
> up", "thumbs horizontal (meaning a concern), and "thumbs down".  Thus 
> more
> assertive actions result and we have fewer passive abstentions.  This
> departs from the described model in that a member can declare a block
> instead of the facilitator.

I find this is exactly the perfect way to stifle discussion because it 
emphasizes the majority and puts everyone in the mindset of voting. You 
want to avoid that mindset at all costs if people are to think in terms 
of consensus. You want to encourage objections -- seek them out. That 
is the only way to test the action being proposed. You want to hear the 
objections so you have to focus on them. Allowing the "thumbs up" view 
of the room (and people ALWAYS call for thumbs up first!) is the 
conscious or unconscious display of the majority which is often 
intimidating to the one person in the room who may actually have a 
better solution but not the energy to "fight" the majority.

Thumbs is an insidious practice -- voting. and does not help bring out 
objections or concerns. Asking for objections and for concerns (and 
distinguishing between the two) brings the discussion to the point much 
faster and allows you to deal with objections when everyone is fresh 
enough to deal with them.

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