Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Populating Committees (Circles)

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> Probably our biggest challenge with teams is getting enough volunteers to 
> serve on the teams and get the work done.

One of our members once suggested that everyone be assigned and reassigned to a 
team every year. At the time I thought that would be chaos but after a few 
years, I think it would be a good idea to stir things up a bit and spread the 
knowledge around. Invested people on a team create a certain direction and 
spirit that others may not want to follow.

Certainly having everyone choose a team at Orientation would be good so “team” 
is in their vocabulary right away. We have stressed work and workdays much more 
and put lists of tasks needing to be done in front of people. Lists of workday 
tasks are sent out by email before the workday and the unfinished tasks are 
sent out after workday with thank-yous to all who completed tasks. People who 
did not come to workday are asked to finish those tasks remaining.

VOLUNTEERS — Part of the sociocratic process of electing people to teams, is 
that people are nominated and reasons given for each person — why the person 
nominating them thinks they would be good on this team. People can also 
self-nominate but not just volunteer. There have to be reasons given. 

The person is not asked if they will serve until they are elected. The result 
is that people are more willing to serve when they hear the trust and faith 
that other people have in them, their belief they can do the work, persuades 
the nominee to accept the job.

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