EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION TO ELECT RFK JR
Collaboration that values Consent, Feedback and Transparency
LET’S “HEAL THE DIVIDE” AND END MAJOR CORRUPTION
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MOST EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION
Do we agree that Our goal is to end major corruption asap, via electing RFK Jr., and that this will still be our goal, whether or not RFK Jr. gets elected?
Do we seek to end ALL major corruption that threatens the health, safety and well-being of all people (and most other species)?
In order to achieve our goal, should we not seek to learn and practice a method of collaboration that provides maximum effectiveness? I propose that we do that and Heal the Divide.
I asked my Bing A.I. to explain the benefits of our political group using "sociocracy" for collaboration, because it’s faster than I am. Following is the reply with only slight editing by me.
Sociocracy is a theory of governance that seeks to create **psychologically safe environments and productive organizations**. It draws on the use of **consent**, rather than majority voting, in discussion and decision-making by people who have a shared goal or work process. Sociocracy was first developed as the **Sociocratic Circle-Organization Method** by Gerard Endenburg in the Netherlands in the 1980s, inspired by the work of pacifist educators Kees Boeke and Betty Cadbury. Sociocracy has informed and inspired similar organizational forms and methods, such as **Holacracy** and the **self-organizing team approach** developed by Buurtzorg.
Sociocracy is a system of governance that values consent, feedback and transparency. It is based on the principle that people who are affected by a decision should have a say in making it. Sociocracy also encourages self-organization and collaboration among different groups and individuals.
{Bing A.I.} will explain how our political movement would benefit from adopting sociocracy as our way of operating. {It} will also share some examples of how sociocracy has been successfully implemented in other organizations and movements around the world.
Sociocracy is not a form of democracy, nor is it a form of anarchy. Sociocracy does not rely on majority voting or consensus, but rather on consent. Consent means that everyone agrees to move forward with a decision, {after dealing with} objections or reservations. {See below Regarding Objections.} Consent does not mean unanimity or compromise, but rather a willingness to experiment and learn from the outcomes.
Sociocracy also does not mean that everyone has equal power or authority. Sociocracy recognizes that different roles and responsibilities require different levels of decision-making. However, sociocracy ensures that everyone has a voice and can influence the decisions that affect them. Sociocracy also creates feedback loops and accountability mechanisms to ensure that decisions are aligned with the common vision and values of the organization.
So, how would sociocracy benefit our political movement? Here are some of the advantages:
- Sociocracy would increase our engagement and participation. By giving everyone a say in the decisions that affect them, sociocracy would foster a sense of ownership and empowerment among our members. Sociocracy would also create more opportunities for learning and development, as everyone would be encouraged to share their perspectives and experiences, and to listen to others with curiosity and respect.
- Sociocracy would improve our effectiveness and efficiency. By organizing ourselves into small, autonomous teams that can make decisions quickly and independently, sociocracy would enable us to respond more flexibly and creatively to the changing needs and challenges of our environment. Sociocracy would also help us avoid duplication of work and resources, as we would coordinate our actions and share information across teams through regular meetings and reports.
- Sociocracy would enhance our diversity and inclusion. By creating a culture of consent, feedback and transparency, sociocracy would foster a sense of trust and belonging among our members. Sociocracy would also help us embrace our differences and leverage our collective intelligence, as we would value the input of everyone regardless of their background, identity or opinion.
- Sociocracy would strengthen our impact and influence. By aligning our decisions with our vision and values, sociocracy would ensure that we act with integrity and coherence. Sociocracy would also help us communicate more clearly and convincingly with our stakeholders and allies, as we would have a shared understanding of our goals and strategies.
These are just some of the benefits from adopting sociocracy in our political movement. Of course, sociocracy is not a magic bullet or a one-size-fits-all solution. Sociocracy requires a lot of commitment, practice and adaptation to make it work for each context and situation. However, I believe that sociocracy offers us a powerful tool to transform our movement into a more "democratic", effective and resilient organization.
If you are interested in learning more about sociocracy, check out these resources:
- The Sociocracy Group: https://sociocracygroup.com/
- Sociocracy For All: https://www.sociocracyforall.org/
- The Center for Nonviolent Communication: https://www.cnvc.org/
- Find a Sociocracy Practitioner: https://www.sociocracyforall.org/map/
REGARDING OBJECTIONS TO PROPOSALS
One of the main principles of sociocracy is that decisions are made by those who are affected by them, and that objections are seen as sources of improvement rather than obstacles. Objections to proposals are not personal opinions or preferences, but rather arguments that show how the proposal would harm the aim of the group or the organization. To deal with objections, sociocracy uses a process called consent decision making, which involves the following steps:
- Presenting the proposal and clarifying questions
- Testing for consent: asking each member if they have any objections to the proposal
- Resolving objections: listening to the reasons for the objection and modifying the proposal to address them
- Testing for consent again: repeating the process until there are no more objections or the time limit is reached
- Celebrating the decision: acknowledging the collective effort and learning from the process
By using this method, sociocracy ensures that decisions are made with the input and consent of all stakeholders, and that objections are treated as opportunities for learning and innovation.
SOME EXAMPLES OF GROUPS THAT HAVE BENEFITED FROM SOCIOCRACY
Some examples of how sociocracy has been successfully implemented in other organizations and movements around the world are:
- **Intentional communities** (cohousing and ecovillages) that use sociocracy to foster collaboration, inclusion and sustainability among their members.
- **Nonprofits** that use sociocracy to align their vision, mission and values with their operations and to empower their staff and volunteers.
- **Cooperative workplaces** (worker cooperatives or non-hierarchical workplaces) that use sociocracy to distribute authority, share responsibilities and increase efficiency and innovation.
- **Schools** that use sociocracy to create a learning environment that respects the needs and interests of students, teachers and parents.
- **Buurtzorg**, a Dutch home-care organization that uses a self-organizing team approach inspired by sociocracy to deliver high-quality and personalized care to its clients.
- The Children's Community Workshop (Werkplaats Kindergemeenschap), a school founded by Kees Boeke and Beatrice Cadbury in 1926, which still uses sociocracy as a form of governance based on consensus and equality of individuals.
- The G/wi Bushmen of Botswana, who practice a form of sociocracy based on their traditional culture of egalitarianism, cooperation, and nonviolence. They make decisions by consent in small groups called n!oresi, which are linked by delegates to larger groups called n!orese.
- The P2P Foundation, a global network of researchers, activists, and practitioners who explore the potential of peer-to-peer dynamics for social change. They use sociocracy as a way to organize themselves in circles that are autonomous, transparent, and accountable.
- The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. They use sociocracy as a way to foster collaboration, participation, and innovation among their staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
- The Morning Star Company, the world's largest tomato processor and a leading example of a self-managing organization. They use sociocracy as a way to empower their workers to make decisions, coordinate activities, and resolve conflicts without managers or supervisors.