Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Sociocracy [was The dissolving of community, building relationships]

[Juva DuBoise (juva]

" I'm curious to know more about this. Which aspects of sociocracy are 
you using?

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
http://www.sociocracy.info";

We are eagerly awaiting John's Book to be finished and more training to be
available!!!! 

So far we are using the following in our committee meetings and general
membership meetings - with great success
1. Consent - Instead of asking for consensus you ask if there are "any
paramount objections": is something is in your range of tolerance; would
approval be harmful to self or the group?  The Paramount objection is
explored to find out why it is paramount.. Decisions need not represent the
preferred strategies of all members, but must satisfy the basic needs of
all. Day-to-day decisions don't require consent, but there must be consent
about the use of other forms of decision-making. 
 
2. Meeting Structure
 A. Opening round - a time to check in, to bring oneself into the room and
connect with others, to attune - like an orchestra just before the concert.
 B. Administrative concerns such as announcements, time available for the
meeting, consent to minutes of last meeting, acceptance of the agenda,
assign note taker. Note: Minutes should be sent out in 3 days, damaging to
not get out - people forget tasks and those not there get too far behind.
C.  Content - Agenda items
D.  Closing round - a time to measure the meeting process - e.g., was time
used effectively, did the facilitator maintain equivalence, how could the
decision-making have been more efficient, did everyone arrive prepared?
Also, this is a time to propose agenda items for the next meeting."

3. Rounds (not every discussion do we use rounds, but when an issue is
difficult either emotionally or to understand we do)  We have found the
rounds to allow everyone to be heard - even the quiet folks.  E.g. In a
quick reaction round - we get everyone's reaction heard, before working to
resolve objections.  In our current process, objections are heard out
completely and positives are only heard in the discussion related to
objections.  In addition, if the discussion of an objection is long, then
others may lose track of their comment (objection and confirmation).  The
round creates a structure that eliminates individual input getting left
behind, submerged by others stronger reactions.

4. Election Process - this has been great to seek out the skills and talents
that some folks have and only a few know that the member has this ability.
In the process those hidden talents seem to float up!


Juva
Ah, Community - check it out!
cohousing-corvallis.com