DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP ACTIVISM
In this paper roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/scott-adams-cognitive-warfare-and Matthew said: "Failing to hold bad behavior accountable encourages it." That inspired me to write this post: acts15church.substack.com/p/holding-bad-behavior-accountable. Now this paper (roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/nobodys-distributed-leadership-network) on distributed leadership resonates with me too, as I've been thinking about doing local activism in addition to online activism.
My first paper in this Substack was EVIDENCE THE BIBLE REQUIRES UNANIMOUS NOT MAJORITY RULE at acts15church.substack.com/p/evidence-the-bible-requires-unanimous. Some years ago I started this website: https://lin4.webs.com/ which includes similar ideas on unanimity. It covered Effective Planning Procedure, IDM: INTEGRATIVE DECISION MAKING for better meetings, etc. The Planning procedure came from Barbara Sher's ideas at http://wishcraft.com/. Her explanation covered many pages, but I whittled them down to a few paragraphs.
Now I'll put all this material together into this new post.
LOCAL IMPROVEMENT NETWORKS CENTER
IDM: INTEGRATIVE DECISION MAKING
IDM is the method that should be used in all formal meetings. IDM is a simplified form of Sociocracy, which is scientifically developed consensus. (See https://www.sociocracy.info/. See farther below for advantages of IDM over other decision making methods.)
Following are suggested guidelines for Meetings.
MINIMALIST FORMAT
This is a version of the basic IDM process for beginners for each meeting proposal.
1. _Proposer: read proposal. _Members: say OK or state concerns.
2a. _Recorder: [If all say OK] record decision.
2b. _Proposer: [If anyone states a concern] modify & restate proposal based on comments. _Members: say OK or state more concerns.
3. Return to step 2a or 2b or postpone decision to a later time.
FULL FORMAT: MEETING PREPARATION & AGENDA
Before each meeting the clerk should contact group members to decide on an agreed place, date and time to meet and to ask for any proposals for group action. The clerk should write all proposals on a meeting agenda. If there is no approved clerk or reporter for the group, make their election the first proposal on the agenda.
At the meeting, the Clerk reads the meeting format. The Reporter records and reports on decisions & announcements.
A. Opening Round:
-a- Give everyone a copy of the proposed agenda and this meeting format and ask everyone to read along silently.
-b- Decide together what time the meeting should end and announce it.
-c- Decide together when and where future meetings should be held.
-d- Read the minutes of the previous meeting & ask for corrections.
-e- Everyone take turns saying briefly what and how you've been doing.
-f- Anyone who has announcements may make them now.
-g- Ask if anyone greatly wants to change the agenda order or add a proposal.
-h- Clerk read the final agenda.
For action proposals goto B below;
for election proposals, goto C below;
when there are no more proposals, goto D below.
B. Decision-Making Process
1-State the action proposal, including:
who made the proposal,
what the proposed action is,
who is to supervise the action,
when it should be completed,
and what the clear, measurable aim of the action is.
2-Everyone who wants to, make quick comments on the proposal.
3-The proposer should then amend the proposal, if needed, based on members' comments.
4-Anyone who still has objections to the proposal, state your objections and reasons, while the Clerk writes them down on a blackboard or flipchart etc without immediate discussion.
5-When all objections are written, everyone may suggest how to modify the proposal to remove all objections.
6-Clerk should amend the proposal based on suggestions and ask everyone for consent; if anyone does not yet consent, go back to step 4, or get group consent to put the proposal on the agenda of a specified later meeting.
7-Otherwise, if all consent, record the decision and go back to h.
C. Election Process
1-State the job description and term of office for the elected position.
2-When the job description and term are decided, someone should give out ballots & everyone fill them out, writing Your Name and Your Nominee, then hand them back.
3-Everyone say why you made your nomination.
4-Anyone may change your vote after hearing others' reasons.
5-Clerk should propose a nominee based on members' comments.
6-Everyone say if you consent to the clerk's proposal and the nominee should answer last.
7-If anyone does not consent, go back to step 5.
8-When election is finished, record the decision and go back to h.
D. Closing Round: Evaluation
-Everyone may answer these and similar questions to evaluate this meeting and group progress on current action projects:
How is use of meeting time?
Did the Clerk provide equal time and power to all members?
Could the decision-making have been more efficient?
Did everyone arrive prepared?
What issues should be on the next meeting agenda?
Are group-consented tasks being done on time?
Does the group have clear goals and is it making clear, detailed plans to reach the goals?
ADVANTAGES of INTEGRATIVE DECISION MAKING
Greater effectiveness and enjoyment in the group or organization; More creativity and better problem solving throughout the organization; Faster adaptation; Higher quality products and services; Higher staff commitment to and identification with the organization; Less sick leave; Better safety record; More awareness of costs; Improved client orientation; Much less burnout; More program self-discipline; Better leadership among peers; Better organizational continuity when many volunteers are present; Better fund raising; Fewer and better meetings.
CHAPTER ORGANIZERS
Anyone who wants to organize a local chapter of LIN should:
-1. agree with LINC's concern for local and world peace and justice
-2. recruit up to six other local people who share the concern and have time to meet once or twice a month to act as a LIN core group
CORE GROUPS
-3. commit to these effective action guidelines [from https://empowermentzone.com/ ]
-4. identify potential adversary groups & plan to publicize the LIN group in a way to avoid offending anyone, so as to build a broad base of support
-5. publicize the group purpose as soon as possible
-6. get a congenial phone contact person for the group
-7. choose at least a temporary name for the group; it can be Local Improvement Network, or anything non-offensive
-8. meet regularly, using consensus: integrative decision making [IDM] and elect one member to represent your group at monthly LINC meetings by teleconference or email etc - and make sure your rep contacts LINC soon
[See the following webpage for IDM Meeting Guidelines]
-9. form a press committee to handle press releases
-10. use role playing to prepare for public relations events as formerly described at https://empowermentzone.com/
-11. when a member proposes a local improvement project for the group that most members are not interested in, request that the proposer form another LIN group and the group should help recruit new members for that group, up to 7 in all
-12. form a LIN Reconciliation group & ask adversary groups to elect reps to join it to help resolve differences.
TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE
LINC suggests that each LIN promote the following to Young People:
1. Knowing their Rights and Responsibilities
2. Non-coercion & IDM, i.e. integrative decision making
3. Alternative education, instead of coercive education brainwashing
4. Alternative healthcare, instead of supporting greedy big business drug companies et al
5. Running for public office to increase responsible leadership
6. Forming or joining coops for better lifestyles and jobs
EFFECTIVE PLANNING PROCEDURE
Achieving Goals (Vision Quest) - for Individuals & Groups
The following are brief paraphrasings from http://wishcraft.com/.
- For effective planning we have to determine what our true goals are. That will tell us what direction to go with our lives. If we don't know our true goals, we don't know what direction to go in and we can't achieve our goals. For any group, determine what goals all group members have in common.
__#1. Ideal Day Exercise
- Write down every essential thing that would happen in your ideal routine day that doesn't already happen: where you'd be - what area/s, state, country, or climate; what your most important possessions would be; who'd be with you; what main things you'd be doing from the time you get up till you go back to bed; and who you'd do them with, or with what kind/s of person/s.
__#2. True Goals
- These essential elements of your ideal day are your true goals. To be sure a goal is your true goal, ask yourself if you'd be happy if you attained that goal right now. If it wouldn't make you happy, rethink your true goal by referring to your ideal day and ask again if the new target or goal would really make you happy. If that doesn't work, write a list of 20 things you like and see if you think any of those things would make you happy. Select all that would seem to make you happy as your true goal/s.
__#3. Flow-Chart Calendar
- To build a path to your true goal, decide on a series of steps, which are subgoals, by asking about each goal or subgoal what needs to be done first in order to achieve the goal or subgoal. The answer must be a doable action and each answer will be a preceding step.
- Write the goal at the bottom of a page and write each preceding step above the goal or above the subsequent step. Check to make sure each step is in chronological order.
- When the flowchart is complete, assign reasonable dates to each step, or subgoal, at the beginning of each line, to make your calendar.
__#4. Problems Solutions List
- For each step that you don't know how to accomplish, write an explanation of your problem on a Problems Solutions List. For each problem on the list ask people with experience for possible solutions. Or participate in an Idea Party, such as at http://www.barbarasher.com/boards , and ask participants for possible solutions. Write down all the suggestions on a separate page, the Suggestions List, then pick your favorites and add those as solutions on your Problems Solutions List. If a solution doesn't work out, go back to the Suggestions List for other possible solutions.
- For emotional problems complain privately or throw a safe tantrum to help overcome fears etc. Also, ask a buddy to accompany you in uncomfortable situations.
__#5. Morale Support
Ask someone to be your reminder. Give the person a list of your plans for the week & decide together what days & times you need calls as reminders on important plans. You may be that person's reminder too. The reminder may also accompany you for certain actions that you're nervous about doing alone.