Decisions on..
Topics with an impact on the whole community oikos’ shape & future directions, with long-term impact on the future of the organization
Governance-related topics (need for community involvement acc. to constitution, Legislative Assembly decisions)
Who decides: The whole oikos community, based on consent, carried out by clearly appointed individuals or everyone. Sometimes, the decision requires a legislative meeting & official vote
Who’s involved: A decision facilitator (team) from oikos International & anyone who is consulted for advice. Advice is needed from all parties directly affected & persons with expertise in the field
1. Identifying the need for a decision (see process in Basics for decision making)
2. Preparing for a decision (see process in Basics for decision making)
3. Community Involvement: In a clear post outlining the critical issue & the proposal (eg. via email & oikosmos), the community is asked to give their feedback. It is important to stress the early stage of the involvement, give a deadline for the feedback and relate it to the specific context. At the same time, an invitation to be part of the decision in either a focus call or the legislative meeting is sent out. The post should be sent min. 5 days before a meeting is scheduled.
3. Taking a Decision
a) through consent in a focus call (see process in Basics for decision making) OR b) Vote- Legislative Meeting Decisions: According to the constitution, some decisions need a vote of the legislative meeting. The legal matters circle regulates the process of these meetings. It is also helpful to adopt several steps from the consent-based process for these matters.
Joint Decisions that are relevant to the whole oI team, that have an impact on the organization as a whole
Decisions with strategic weight, where we need the wisdom of the whole
Who decides: The whole team, based on consent, carried out by clearly appointed individuals or everyone, facilitated through the use of Loomio
Who’s involved: The whole oI team (incl. facilitator) & anyone who is consulted for advice. Advice is needed from all parties directly affected & persons with expertise in the field
Decisions taken by the whole oI team |
Type & advice |
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Examples |
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Decisions that are reversible and have little consequences
Decisions that are clearly linked to one (or multiple) roles you hold as an individual
Who decides: The one who carries out the decision process, based on consent
Who’s involved: Mainly the decider & anyone who is consulted for advice
There is different kind of decisions you are invited to take as an individual which we can broadly cluster in 2 categories:
What you should ask yourself:
Is it safe enough to try & move on?
Are there any critical consequences that might come out of this process?
Who else might have relevant information for me?
Are there any objections I haven’t acknowledged?
The 4-fold practice, re-loaded
Self-organized decision-making in oikos is complex. The 4 Decision-Making Stairs give a simplified overview of the different possible decisions making practices we follow
How to choose a practice?
We encourage individuals to make as many decisions on their own and in their circles as possible (1 &2). These decisions are fast and create momentum. We consider the reversibility and consequence of a decision before moving to another decision-making practice. The more people impacted, the higher we move in the decision-making stairs and the more advice we ask for. The highest possible stair represents decisions where the wider oikos community is involved. What you will experience is that you will use less energy in decision processes if you follow the stairs, both of your own and in the team.
In general, you can always ask for advice and also delegate a decision if you believe the decision falls under the authority of another role or circle.
If you are not sure what kind of decision process you’re about to enter, think about:
the questions that guide the decision
the scope of impact (long-term/short-term; few/many people involved),..
or ask your colleagues for advice which process would suit best :)
There is one exceptional case, legislative assembly decisions (see step 4 ALL OF OIKOS)
On leadership in taking decisions
Decisions require leadership from the decider in moments of drafting a proposal, including others in the process and/or handling objections. The decider must not have all the answers and it’s OK to say “I don’t know”. It is much more about inviting different perspectives and being open for critical objections. In the best case, the decider creates an environment in which all ideas find a space and collaborative decision-making can happen.
It also takes leadership in choosing the right decision-making process for an open question. The decider balances reversibility and consequences, and considers/asks for advice from relevant roles and circles. Choosing between group consent process, advice or community advice process is a trade-off between efficiency and group buy-in. Deciders choose the most suitable method based on the context, people impacted by the consequences of decisions, and urgency.
Joint Decisions that are clearly belonging and are relevant to your circle
Shared Decisions that are clearly linked to one (or multiple) circle, where the overlap needs advice from other circles
Who decides: The circle that carries out the decision process, based on consent
Who’s involved: Mainly the people in the deciding circle (incl. facilitator) & anyone who is consulted for advice
There is different kind of decisions you might come across as a circle which we can broadly cluster in 2 categories:
Where decisions are taken:
Meetings are not the only places where decisions might manifest. In general, it is important to harvest decision processes so everyone has the possibility to carefully read through the important information, ask relevant questions and raise objections. One way to do so is using Loomio, our decision-making tool. Whereas the tool is mandatory for ALL OF US decisions, circles can freely choose to use it in their processes as well.
What you should ask yourself:
Do we need the whole circle involved?
Is the decision as relevant as moving it into this stage of decision making? Do I need the opinion of all people involved? Why?
Is it a closed, strategic question (Y/N) & who is in charge of a proposal?
Is this a decision that can be made by our circle or do we need to include a wider / different circle in the process?
Low scale - every day decisions
Role-centered decisions
Type & advice
Decisions that are safe to fail, without a major impact on whole oikos
Decisions that require your individual agency
Move ahead & go for it as an individual! This is what can make our work more efficient
Make sure to communicate your decisions properly in any case!
Decisions that are directly & mainly linked to a certain role, without a wider impact on your circle
Decisions in this field might be delegated to you from other people
Of course you can/should ask for advice, but you are the owner & executor of the decision
Examples
buying a Metro ticket during a strategy meeting or
deciding on the color of the flower we buy for the spring-meeting host
Deciding on the weekdays you want to work
Role in marketing/social media: deciding on the color of a poster or the social media planning for the following weeks
Writing a follow-up email with a partner you’re responsible for. You’re the expert & as the matter does not have critical consequences on the long term, you can decide on your own
Inner-Circle Decisions
Cross-circle decisions
Type & advice
Decisions within the circle, following the principles of consent & objection to move ahead
If you feel that a decision is strategic and has much impact on your circle as a whole
The process should be owned/ facilitated by one of the circle members
Advice is critical: who else has relevant information?
Decisions that cross the responsibility of one circle in a way that requires collaboration between circles
Follow the principles of advice & consent to move ahead
The process should be owned/ facilitated by one of the circles involved, who in the end also decide through consent
You might need meetings &/remote communication to align between the circles. Focus calls are great for this
Any critical objections of the circles involved need to be addressed
Examples
implementing a new communication process for the circle (people are directly involved in the execution)
Creating your strategy for the upcoming months
Collaborating with a new partner for the circle (your circle & partnership support, possibly the board)
Changing the dates of your program (the whole initiative circle & the board to align your agendas)
