Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Input Processes for Big Meeting; Was: Using Open Space in Meetings

[Rob Sandelin (floriferous]

 Nancy Dennis asked about big meeting processes for input. 

We get between 25 and 35 people at a general meeting. Depending upon the
topic, the amount of inputs, and the facilitator, a couple of styles are
used to gather input from the group.  One is simply calling on people in
turn:  Bob, then Jim, Then Judy, then Mike...... If there are lots of hands
up to speak then the facilitator might go around the circle, calling on
people around the circle as they raise their hands. So the facilitator might
call the names of five people in sequence, then call five more and repeat
until its gone around the circle. Then it usually goes around again,
typically on the second round less people have their hand up.  

Another big meeting process is a straw poll technique, so for example the
facilitator might call for something like:  If you can give permission for
the proposal as it stands, show one finger, if you have questions, concerns
or ideas to improve it, show two fingers. At the count of three everybody
holds up either one or two fingers and the facilitator calls on those with
two fingers to bring out their issues, concerns or ideas. Using this
technique shows you how close you really are with a particular proposal, and
if there are many people with issues, concerns or ideas you can move into
other processes, like the round robin, or brainstorming.  Many times
however, there might only be a couple of questions, and if they are easily
answered, then the group can end up giving permission to the proposal
(consenting)

If there are aspects about the proposal or issue at hand which might be
difficult to get people to honestly stand up for what they think, then a
shelter scale is a good way to draw out the dichotomy while allowing people
to be anonymous.  You can find a description of this process from my website
here  http://www.ic.org/nica/Book/Techniques.htm

There is some stuff about consensus you might find useful that I wrote in
2001   here:  http://www.ic.org/nica/Book/Cover.htm

Happy meetings,

Rob  Sandelin
Sharingwood