Introduction to Consent-Based Decision Making with Sociocracy

Join us in-person at SPACE4 for an accessible introduction to the principles and processes behind Sociocratic decision making.
About this Event

Sociocracy is a governance structure and decision-making system that has helped co-ops, collectives, and purpose-driven teams govern themselves more effectively and fairly for decades - without endless discussion, minority veto, or someone quietly steamrolling the group.

This free taster session is for anyone wanting to learn more about the principles and processes so they can imagine how they might embed it in their own teams.

What we'll cover

We'll walk through the core ideas behind sociocratic decision making:

1. Range of tolerance - why consent isn't the same as agreement, and why that matters
2. Turn taking - how structuring who speaks (and when) transforms a discussion
3. Proposals - why having a concrete thing to react to is faster and fairer than open-ended brainstorming
4. The consent process - a simple, repeatable process for making decisions your whole team can live with

There'll be space for questions and discussion throughout, and you'll leave with practical ideas that you can bring back to your team.

And If you come along and think - yes, my team needs this - we offer bespoke sociocracy training for teams and organisations. Chat to us on the day.

Who is this for?

This session is ideal for:

• Members of worker co-ops and social enterprises
• Anyone in a flat or non-hierarchical team frustrated by how decisions get made
• People curious about democratic governance who've never had a formal introduction
• Teams thinking about adopting sociocracy who want to explore it before committing

No prior knowledge needed, just bring your curiosity.

About Your facilitator

Natasha Natarajan is co-director at Outlandish Co-operative, a digital agency that builds digital tools with a focus on positive social impact. We are a worker-owned co-operative, partnering with clients and communities who share our passions.

Natasha’s primary role in Outlandish is outreach and partnerships through our cooperative, affordable workspace, SPACE4, that we run with Islington Council.

Natasha is passionate about all things to do with the cooperative movement and Sociocracy has been a big part of that, it’s personally transformed her life. Sociocracy is a popular organisational structure and decision-making tool within the coop movement. We use it daily to make decisions: everything from paternity leave, to setting pay and changing accountants.

About the Venue

SPACE4 is a part of Outlandish, a tech worker-cooperative committed to creating social and economic change. We run SPACE4 to invest in our local community, democratic business, and social movements. We achieve this through providing affordable workspace, networking and training events, and consultancy from our base in Finsbury Park. We are a hub for social innovators and digital activists. Don’t hesitate to get in touch or visit us.

SPACE4 Website:https://space4.tech

Follow us on socials:https://linktr.ee/space4coop

Venue access information:https://space4.tech/visit-us