Overview

So many groups form. And so many groups fade. What distinguishes those groups that grow and flourish from those that fade and fail? The success factors are well-studied, even though the lessons learned hardly make it into the design of those who start groups. That makes sense -- groups form because people feel the urgency for change in an area of their attention, not because they are experts in how to start a group. With intentional processes, we can establish an inclusive group culture early on to grow and flourish without governance troubles getting in the way - keeping our eyes on our shared purpose. This book offers a step-by-step process of how to start a self-managed group in three meetings. The processes in this book are based on tools and principles from sociocracy, a consent-based, decentralized governance system that supports every voice to be considered and valued, while allowing groups to work efficiently towards the shared purpose.

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9781949183047

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Reviews

Humanity is undergoing a species level rite of passage. We can choose to disagree on how to address the problems of climate change, cascading ecosystems collapse, obscene levels of inequality, etc., or we can manifest our evolutionary potential and mature into new ways of collaboration for the common good of people and planet. This will happen place by place, community by community, bioregion by bioregion. It requires paying attention to the biocultural uniqueness of places and people. We are capable of moving from a culturally dominant story of competitive scarcity to co-creating a world of collaborative abundance and in the process heal the Earth and her people. In order to do so we need to work on inclusion, participation and collaborative decision making. Sociocracy offers effective ways to accomplish just that. Ted Rau's book makes its practice and processes easy to understand and apply for any group ready to step into the adventure of co-creating diverse regenerative cultures everywhere. - Daniel Christian Wahl, Author, Speaker, Advisor Powerful, tangible, and empowering organizing has never been more needed. Here is a gentle, stepwise guide for how to begin. Drawing on many years of experience and teaching, Ted Rau takes the mystery out of forming effective groups. - Nathan Schneider, University of Colorado Boulder Ted Rau has written another invaluable survival guide for groups interested in distributing power and working towards a shared purpose. He demystifies common and frustrating pain points of governance and offers practical, down-to-earth tips for running effective meetings and clearing the path for meaningful collaboration. - Lisa Gill, founder of Reimaginaire and self-management coach Ted Rau has done an outstanding job of tackling how to avoid the sneaky slide into a power struggle amongst well-meaning people who really want to cooperate and collaborate but need better tools. A practical, accessible approach to decision-making, this book is an excellent handbook for groups wanting to fulfill a mission and not spend their time stuck in a decision-making quandary. - Dawna Jones, author, Decision Making for Dummies How does one start a completely self-governed group? Ted Rau is one of the most appropriate people to answer this question, because it is something he works on every day, not only in the organization of which he is the operational leader and co-founder, Sociocracy For All, but also accompanying groups and organizations (for profit and non-profit) that seek self-management and sharing of power. For those of us who work with him, he is a constant guide and reference due to his great knowledge, multiple experiences and the ability to explain things with clear, simple and with replicable materials. This book brings great clarity to those who accompany groups and who are part of them, since there are always common situations. Here, we will find concrete ways to be able to navigate and overcome them. - Nora Plaza, Consultant, leader of Sociocracia Pr�ctica What I love about Ted's writing is that he speaks from the heart and from experience. Everything Ted discusses in this book he has tried and tested; and everything works! Our world seems to be moving through a phase of increasing division and rampant self-interest. Forming small groups that embody cultures of caring, empathy and `power-with' rather than `power-over' is a way for each of us to practice the skills that the world needs to move toward greater harmony. Well-functioning small groups are a powerful piece of the more networked world we are creating. Ted is a gift to the world, and this book is a fantastic, practical guide to creating groups with the culture we need. - Paul Atkins, Prosocial.world

Humanity is undergoing a species level rite of passage. We can choose to disagree on how to address the problems of climate change, cascading ecosystems collapse, obscene levels of inequality, etc., or we can manifest our evolutionary potential and mature into new ways of collaboration for the common good of people and planet. This will happen place by place, community by community, bioregion by bioregion. It requires paying attention to the biocultural uniqueness of places and people. We are capable of moving from a culturally dominant story of competitive scarcity to co-creating a world of collaborative abundance and in the process heal the Earth and her people. In order to do so we need to work on inclusion, participation and collaborative decision making. Sociocracy offers effective ways to accomplish just that. Ted Rau's book makes its practice and processes easy to understand and apply for any group ready to step into the adventure of co-creating diverse regenerative cultures everywhere. - Daniel Christian Wahl, Author, Speaker, Advisor Powerful, tangible, and empowering organizing has never been more needed. Here is a gentle, stepwise guide for how to begin. Drawing on many years of experience and teaching, Ted Rau takes the mystery out of forming effective groups. - Nathan Schneider, University of Colorado Boulder Ted Rau has written another invaluable survival guide for groups interested in distributing power and working towards a shared purpose. He demystifies common and frustrating pain points of governance and offers practical, down-to-earth tips for running effective meetings and clearing the path for meaningful collaboration. - Lisa Gill, founder of Reimaginaire and self-management coach Ted Rau has done an outstanding job of tackling how to avoid the sneaky slide into a power struggle amongst well-meaning people who really want to cooperate and collaborate but need better tools. A practical, accessible approach to decision-making, this book is an excellent handbook for groups wanting to fulfill a mission and not spend their time stuck in a decision-making quandary. - Dawna Jones, author, Decision Making for Dummies How does one start a completely self-governed group? Ted Rau is one of the most appropriate people to answer this question, because it is something he works on every day, not only in the organization of which he is the operational leader and co-founder, Sociocracy For All, but also accompanying groups and organizations (for profit and non-profit) that seek self-management and sharing of power. For those of us who work with him, he is a constant guide and reference due to his great knowledge, multiple experiences and the ability to explain things with clear, simple and with replicable materials. This book brings great clarity to those who accompany groups and who are part of them, since there are always common situations. Here, we will find concrete ways to be able to navigate and overcome them. - Nora Plaza, Consultant, leader of Sociocracia Practica What I love about Ted's writing is that he speaks from the heart and from experience. Everything Ted discusses in this book he has tried and tested; and everything works! Our world seems to be moving through a phase of increasing division and rampant self-interest. Forming small groups that embody cultures of caring, empathy and `power-with' rather than `power-over' is a way for each of us to practice the skills that the world needs to move toward greater harmony. Well-functioning small groups are a powerful piece of the more networked world we are creating. Ted is a gift to the world, and this book is a fantastic, practical guide to creating groups with the culture we need. - Paul Atkins, Prosocial.world

Author Information

Ted J. Rau is a trainer and coach for sociocracy. He is the co-founder of Sociocracy For All, a nonprofit that makes decentralized, consent-based governance accessible to everyone. He and his five children live in a co-housing community in Massachusetts with 80 neighbors. Ted identifies as transgender; he was born and raised in Germany with a background in linguistics. Ted loves systems that help us be our better selves and that lead us closer to a world that works for everyone. The early forming of a new group is a crucial moment. With intentional processes, we can establish an inclusive group culture early on to grow and flourish without governance troubles getting in the way - keeping our eyes on our shared purpose.

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