Consensus, Consent, and Objections

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Heresy, I know, but I think Holacracy has a good point in using “objections” and not “consent.” Brian says in his Introduction to Holacracy video: “Consent has no place in Holacracy.” We want to hear objections to the proposal. Restrictions on Consent One of my criticisms of groups using full-group consensus is that first they commit to one for all, and all for one, then they begin putting restrictions on it. All for one and… Read More . . . “Consensus, Consent, and Objections”

Branding Sociocracy in the United States

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The letter S as a Brand Since sociocracy was introduced in North America, problems with the name “sociocracy” have hounded it.  Unlike European countries, Americans associate sociocracy negatively with “socialism,” sociocracy is harder to say in English than in many other languages. Unfortunately, the rejection of the word “sociocracy” and the use of alternatives continue to confuse the public and obstruct efforts to develop a cohesive image, a “brand” in the current marketing vernacular. A Solution for Branding Sociocracy Some of… Read More . . . “Branding Sociocracy in the United States”

Collaborative Governance

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I’ve been looking for a new description for Sociocracy.info and have tried several. In reading recent posts on [email protected] and sociocracy-related websites, I found the word collaborative used the most often to describe sociocracy and, perhaps more importantly,  to be used consistently with the same meaning: Collaboration is working with others to achieve a common task and to achieve shared goals. It is more than the intersection of common goals found in co-operative organizationsThe Delibrative… Read More . . . “Collaborative Governance”

Consensus or Sociocracy?

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We are 3 months into starting a cohousing community in western MA. We will soon be discussing how we will make group decisions. Consensus and sociocracy seem to be common strategies in cohousing and other intentional communities. Which do you recommend? “Consensus or Sociocracy?” Is the Wrong Question (But there are no dumb questions. This one is a very good question and one we hear frequently.) Sociocracy and consensus are not opposite things. Consensus is… Read More . . . “Consensus or Sociocracy?”

A Biography of Kees Boeke

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Well-received biography of Kees Boeke in Dutch by Daniela Hooghiemstra, a noted Dutch Biographer. Available from Bol.com Description De christen-pacifist Kees Boeke (1884- 1966) wordt wel ‘onderwijshervormer’ genoemd maar hij beoogde niet minder dan de stichting van een nieuwe wereld. Toen de poging om die gemeenschap te stichten mislukte, besloot Boeke een school te stichten waar de ‘nieuwe wereld’ van de grond af opgebouwd moest worden. Deze unieke school kreeg na de Tweede Wereldoorlog een… Read More . . . “A Biography of Kees Boeke”

Collaborative Collective Cooperative

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Ornamental Capital Letter C Collaborative, collective, and cooperative are words often used interchangeably. When I hear them I wonder which one the speaker or writer means. I use them interchangeably too, sort of giving equal time to all of them. I have a preference for cooperative because it seems to have fewer political overtones than collective, and collaborative reminds me of clabber. It sticks in my throat. The Problem with Dictionaries The dictionary definitions of these three words don’t… Read More . . . “Collaborative Collective Cooperative”