GOVERNANCE

These times call for a new collective leadership capacity to meet governance in a more conscious, intentional and strategic way - one that makes room for more life energy and responds to the authentic needs of the community.
We feel that Sociocracy would be an effective vehicle for an emerging future together. It allows for sharing power widely so that every member has a voice. It allows for transparency so that at all times everyone has clarity around who will be making the decisions. It also recognizes the principle of interdependence - in that the decision makers will be entrusted with the responsibility to consider the impact on all those involved - human and more than human and that they will seek advice and expertise if needed.
Yes – Dynamic governance models are better for being able to make quick decisions and the review process is integral to making good sociocracy decisions - “good enough for now, safe enough to try”. I would say it emphasizes consent and getting things done but maybe has less to offer in terms of relationship building and deep interpersonal learning compared to consensus. However that can happen in a different space. I think it is imperative for the health of the community to have different types of spaces and to be clear about where decisions are made. Heart circles, dialogue, rupture and repair spaces as well as sharing celebration and fun are very important.
Who holds the voice of the non-human – how are they included in practical terms. One community in NZ actually gave the earth legal ownership of a share
Sociocracy has the capacity to grow as we do. The sociocracy organization can be composed of semi-autonomous groups and each group would govern a specific domain of responsibility within the agreements of the larger whole.
Sociocracy works through the process of consent - which takes into consideration people’s range of tolerance to a proposal and has a clear process of initiating proposals and bringing these to the group. Once the proposal is brought to the group, time is then given to clarify any questions, respond to concerns, and then decide. Decisions are made using the voting options of consent, consent with concern, or object.
Objection Rights
One of the voting options is to object. Dealing with objections is one of the core pieces of sociocracy. Approaching objections in a constructive and skillful way has the potential to turn every concern into something better for the community.
There are guidelines built into sociocracy structures that determine what to do when we don’t know what to do. We commit to deeply understanding this process.