 | Preface | |
|---|---|---|
| ↢ | ↣ |
We all know what deep connection feels like. We know it when we talk to a good friend who truly sees us. We all know what deep belonging feels like -- when we enter a group and we tap into knowing deep inside that these are our people. We all know what it feels like to be known and trusted, and to matter to the people around us and they to us.
In every community of people, may it be at work, with friends, neighbors or family, it is connection that nurtures people. When we work alongside each other, care for each other and make decisions together.
How can we have more of that? How can we be aligned with our need for connection wherever we go, in our workplaces, neighborhoods, towns, clubs, faith groups, associations and in our families? We think that sociocracy can contribute to a more connected, integrated life. The principles behind sociocracy are not new. They are common sense. People have cooperated for as long as humanity exists. And still, we see a need to collect and describe tools and good practices so we can get more skilled with our interactions in organizations.
Human interactions are complex and have simultaneous layers that we need to tend to as we cooperate. What are we doing and how are we doing it? Who and what do we depend on? How do we divide our labor in the best way? Who decides, how do we decide, and how do we talk about these decisions? It all boils down to how we relate to our work and how we relate to each other.
the more I live the more I think two people together is a miracle. | ||
| --Adrienne Rich | ||
Sociocracy is one of many systems that provide guidance in the process of relating to each other, in the context of organizations. Other systems focus on how we relate to each other in interpersonal relationships or in our relationship to our environment. Each of them attempting to integrate where we are separated, to aid where we struggle, and to broaden our minds where we are stuck.
What does it take to lead a more integrated life, to form a more connected society, to create communities with more sense of belonging and harmony? We think there are three ingredients.
We need tools and systems that support listening, participation, agency and a way to link our minds and hearts to work toward a shared goal.
We need practice. We need to unlearn the messages that have harmed us, and to re-tell each other the stories that reunite us. Regular practice changes the fabric between us. It strengthens our skills and carries real change into the world.
We need hope. Hope comes with the confidence that we are agents that can change the world. Hope that together, we can create systems that serve people close to us and in the larger community, without doing harm somewhere else.
In organizations, we come together to achieve a shared aim. In singing together, every voice contributes, even though they might not be singing the same tune. We each sing our part and together, it sounds more beautiful than what any individual can accomplish alone. Hence the book title “Many voices one song”!
Ted and Jerry