Cohousing-L Mailing List: Consensus Workshop (SF Bay Area)

[Eris Weaver (eris]

CONSENSUS 101: A ONE DAY WORKSHOP
Saturday April 26, 2008                 9:00 am - 4:00 pm 
Sonoma Mountain Village Event Center, Rohnert Park, CA

Used by intentional communities, activist organizations, religious &
spiritual groups, nonprofits, and others, consensus is a powerful process
for collaborative decision making and building group cohesion.  However, it
is not something that comes naturally to those of us who’ve grown up in an
individualistic, competitive culture!

Most of the consensus trainings & workshops that I know about have been
commissioned for a specific community or organization. However, many forming
groups are small and may not be able to afford hiring someone to teach a
full day workshop just for them; existing groups have turnover, and new
members may find it difficult to get up to speed on the nuances of this
process. So it seemed to me that a stand-alone workshop, open to anyone from
any organization or community, might fill an unmet need.  (I welcome
feedback about this idea in general, even if you are not within this
geographic range! If it seems viable, I will repeat in other areas.)

This experiential full-day workshop serves as an introduction for those new
to consensus and a refresher for those who feel their community or
organization may not be using it most effectively. We'll focus on
collaborative decision-making tools you can really use!

 Workshop topics include: 
• Definition(s) of consensus
• Why use consensus?
• When NOT to use consensus
• What factors help/hinder consensus
• How to “do” consensus: the process
• What to do when it doesn’t work

Workshop fee (includes a delicious lunch, catered by Sally Tomatoes): $120
Three or more people from the same community or organization registering
together: $100!
Registration deadline: April 10

Workshop leader Eris Weaver is a Facilitator & Group Process Consultant who
specializes in working with intentional communities and nonprofits. She is a
resident of FrogSong cohousing community in Cotati. To register or for
further information, call 707-338-8589 or see http://www.erisweaver.info.

------------------------------
Eris Weaver, Facilitator & Group Process Consultant
eris [at] erisweaver.info
707-338-8589
http://www.erisweaver.info


fa cil' i tāt: to make easier