Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Dynamic Governance-Sociocracy workshop June 15-16 inBoston MA Re: Doing Rounds Sense of the Group

[Wayne Tyson (landrest]

[Note: Since I find it very confusing when there are subject-line changes 
without reference to the post(s) that gave rise to a related subject, I have 
taken the liberty of modifying the subject line here to represent a labeling 
method which might reduce such confusion. If I have incorrectly interpreted 
the relationship of Villines' post to Dowd's and others' please accept my 
apologies. I also find it confusing when the relevant previous posts are not 
quoted. As to labeling practice, that of leading with the most 
generic/relevant term would facilitate organization and searching, e.g., 
Sociocracy  Dynamic Governance or Governance  Dynamic  Sociocracy. This 
becomes especially important when one has a lot of email traffic to sort. 
Note, however, that I have in this case maintained the original and 
most-posted subject line regardless.]

Honorable CoHo group:

One of the deadliest phenomena in group dynamics is the concentration of 
power, including that of "facilitators." Rather than time limits alone, may 
I suggest that when the time limit is up that the speaker (by convention) 
stops and calls for a "sense of the group" vote on whether or not the group 
wishes her or him to proceed, followed by similar intervals such that the 
time the floor is held is governed by the true sense of the group rather 
than by some arbitrary standard like time or the facilitator's bias?

WT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sharon Villines" <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
To: "Cohousing-L Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 5:56 AM
Subject: [C-L]_ Doing Rounds



One practice of sociocracy that I think is vitally important is rounds. Good 
rounds are the best way to bring people together and create a group. I would 
like to day that if you don't have time for rounds, you might as well go 
home. An extreme statement, of course, but almost true.

The group I joined in Florida, Synergy Cohousing, that never got built for 
reasons unrelated to rounds, used rounds at the beginning and ending of 
every event — meetings, potlucks, pool parties — every event. It was 
incredibly bonding. No matter how many people there were, we did a round as 
soon as everyone was present and before people started leaving.

Children participated as well. We were fortunate enough to have a house to 
meet in where the children could participate in rounds and then go play in 
another wing while we met.

Sometimes things came out in rounds that we spent most of the meeting 
discussing like being assaulted or losing a job. One result was the ability 
to discuss business decisions with fuller understanding of those with whom 
we were making decisions.

Gilles Charest, a sociocratic trainer in Montreal. says if you want to make 
a group decision, you have to have a group. Since each person is different 
each time they walk in the door, the group needs to be reformed. He does 2-3 
rounds on a proposal before there is discussion of giving consent or not.

How to do a round:

1. Start in a different place in the circle or room each time so people are 
not always speaking last or first. Go in different directions in each round.

2. The facilitator ensures that the round is started and moves along but 
doesn't interrupt or control the room unless clearly necessary, for example, 
someone else is interrupting or pontificating. People speak in order, the 
facilitator indicating the order if people are not in a circle or it isn't 
clear who is next.

3. The facilitator models listening and functions as a member of the round. 
They do not question or try to clarify statements until the end of the round 
when there may be free discussion

4. Each person speaks from their own heart and mind, not in reaction to 
others or to argue with others.

5. People may pass. The facilitator may come back to them at the end of the 
round to see if they have something to say. The group should be aware if it 
seems a person has passed because they are angry or otherwise upset.

It is also good to indicate if this is a quick reaction round, a consent 
round, an opening round, a closing round, a listening round, etc. I find the 
time limits some like to set antithetical to listening and sharing. The 
focus becomes the 30 second or 1 minute rule rather than listening or 
sharing. With experience people will intuitively know how long they can 
speak, and how long others can listen. Setting at time limit also puts the 
facilitator in charge instead of initiating.

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




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