Cohousing-L Mailing List: Reopening Decisions

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 7 Jul 2011, at 1:02 AM, Norman Gauss wrote:

> It appears that the membership may be reluctant to admit that they approved
> a proposal containing significant defects, or else they are bored with it
> and have no patience to rehash an issue in which their interest has been
> exhausted.

I think the latter reason is why people don't want to reopen decisions — 
emotional or intellectual exhaustion. The key is to make decisions more 
efficiently, based on information. Often we make them in the dark — we are 
guessing.

Obtaining more information can most easily be done in two ways — more research 
and experimentation. Don't try to make a decision for all time, particularly if 
you have very little information. Attempts to make decisions based on 
_uninformed_ opinions produce not only bad decisions but conflict and emotional 
distress. 

Make your  best guess decision and try it for 6 months. Or design an 
experiment: three group meals this way, three that way, and three a new way.

In Dynamic Governance, decisions are reopened — and should be reopened — 
whenever there is new information. You make decisions on the basis of the best 
information available, but when new information is available, you have the 
opportunity to improve or fine tune the decision.

Arbitrary limits on reopening decisions divert attention from the quality of 
the decision. They focus the group on enforcing the rules rather than on the 
goals of the community and whether they are being met.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Coauthor with John Buck of
"We the People: Consenting to a Deeper Democracy"
ISBN: 9780979282706
http://www.socionet.us