Essential Questions:
What is the role of decision making in our cooperative business?
How can decision making be transparent and open to contribution?
How can I be an effective contributor in decision making at our cooperative?
How does decision-making relate to my rights and responsibilities as a co-op member?
Essential Learnings:
I recognize that decisions are the way we move from thinking to action.
I know that the rights and responsibilities of democratic decision-making require me to invest time and energy in making informed decisions.
I understand that it should be clear who gets to make the final call on a decision.
I understand that effective democracy requires me to access my own and others’ intelligence and knowledge, and to integrate multiple viewpoints.
4 Pillars:
Accountable Empowerment: Everyone has the potential to be an effective contributor to decision-making, and it should be clear who gets to make the final call.
Teaming: Interdependence requires us to access our collective intelligence
Democracy: Transparency and openness give co-op members an opportunity to participate.
3 Concepts:
Linkage: Agency in decision-making while balancing the needs of the co-op as a whole.
Transparency: Trust that the co-op is acting in member interest because members are contributing to decisions.
Cognition: Free circulation of information.
Materials:
Post-its
Markers
Sticky flip-chart paper
Pens
Paper or journals
Agenda
Welcome everyone into the space and thank them for their participation. Review & Recommit to Public Agreements.
Check In Question
In pairs / small groups discuss: When you have to make important decisions, what do you factor in?
Decisions move us from thinking to action. Without decisions, we couldn’t run our co-op effectively
What does it mean to make a democratic decision?
Possible answers:
Input is sought from people of all levels of the business
There is enough time given to deliberate the decision
People understand who the ultimate decision maker is
Everyone understands what criteria is being used to make the decision
People have agreed to the kind of decision making process that will be used (majority vote, consensus, etc.)
What rights and responsibilities support democratic decisions?
Possible answers:
Freedom of Expression
A Community of Differences
Democratic Member Control
Limits in Internal Government
Activity
This session is about identifying the rights and responsibilities of democratic decision-making, and how to balance personal voice with decision-making boundaries.
In pairs/small groups ask participants to share on the following questions:
What is a big decision we had to make in this company recently?
How did you feel involved or not involved?
How did you contribute? What would you like to have been able to contribute differently?
How did you know who had the authority to make the decision? Why was that important?
The facilitator can share a 30-45 second example from their own experience to model direction.
As a big group:
What is a decision that needs to be made in your co-op in the next three months?
Invite someone to give short summary of what needs to be decided without prescribing the answer.
What categories of information or knowledge do you need to consider to make this decision?
Write each answer on separate sheet of flipchart paper.
Possible answers:
Financial
Market direction
Free cash flow
Customer feedback
Who are the decision makers involved in this situation?
Think about your job responsibilities and write a piece of information relevant to this decision that you know because of your role, that you think other people in the co-op might not know. Write each item on a separate post-its.
Now, write at least three post-its that are important to the decision that you don’t know
Put their information post-its on each flip chart where it is most relevant
Everyone go around and put a checkmark next to information that is new to you!
After everyone has had a chance to put their post-its on the wall and review the post-its, lead a discussion based on the following prompts.
What systems and processes allow us to share this information with each other and the decision-makers?
How has your understanding of democratic decision making shifted?
Possible Answers:
I can be decision contributor, even if I am not the ultimate decision maker
What does it mean to have a right to participate in decision-making in a democracy?
What kinds of things would you need to know in order to exercise those rights responsibly?
Does transparency and openness help the co-op make decisions? How/why?
Individual Writing Reflection
What shifted for you?
What do you see as strengths you can contribute to in decision-making in your co-op? Where are the boundaries of your strengths and expertise?
What could you do differently as a result of the session today when it comes to making decisions in your co-op?
Conclusion
Popcorn share outs from reflection.
References/Facilitator Resources
http://www.ownershipassociates.com/
https://hbr.org/2006/01/who-has-the-d-how-clear-decision-roles-enhance-organizational-performance
2nd Principle: https://ica.co-op/sites/default/files/attachments/Guidance%20Notes%20EN.pdf