Language: Español
Sociocracy combines consent decision-making, a decentralized system of authority and intentional processes to improve our decisions and processes over time into a governance system that supports effective and efficient process while increasing connection, listening and co-creation among members.
Sociocracy is used in businesses, communities, nonprofits, cooperatives, grassroots groups and in education. See the sociocracy resources on this page to get started.
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Books from Sociocracy for All
Many Voices One Song
The practical sociocracy handbook written by the co-founders of Sociocracy For All. 300 pages full of real-life support!
Let’s Decide Together
The definitive guidebook for practicing sociocracy with children. Children can decide with sociocracy too!
Sociocracy topics
Each of these short summaries gives you an overview of the sociocracy resources for you to learn more.
More: Selection process | Writing proposals | Implementation
Making group decisions: consent
Consent is the default decision-making method in sociocracy. In consent, a decision is made when no circle member has an objection. Every person will consent if they can accept the proposal, and object if the proposal has negative implications with respect to the circle’s shared aim.
A group moves to consent in the consent process: presenting the proposal and clarifying questions, quick reactions and a round of consent/objections.
Different from blocking a proposal in consensus decision-making, objections are welcomed as valuable information and they can be integrated by modifying the proposal, its term or its measurements.
Circles and roles: who decides what?
Decisions are made in circles, a defined team of people working together towards their circle’s aim. Circle members make collective policy decisions in their domain and they define operational roles to empower individuals to take on responsibility and circle roles to self-manage their circle.
Circles are connected through parent circle/sub-circle relationships of nested domains, leading to a system where everything can be decided locally in the system, without centralizing power at the center. To make sure two circles are connected, we double-link them with two people as members in both circles.
Sociocracy resources on structure: Overview article on structure
Meetings with sociocracy
Sociocratic meetings are inclusive and efficient with a clear format:
- Opening: check-in and ADMIN
- Content of the meeting
- Consent to agenda
- Agenda items
- Review
- Check-out (meeting evaluation)
Facilitation is a focus of sociocracy. Rounds – the practice of speaking one by one – are commonly used in meetings to keep equivalence and focus. Rounds also make it easy to run virtual meetings in video calls.
Performance
All sociocratic processes are built on the basic idea of continuous improvement. Feedback is a way to improve what we do, both by creating feedback-rich organizations, a commitment to interpersonal feedback and formal, peer-oriented performance reviews. Other practices are: meeting evaluations in meetings, reviews for all policy decisions and for role selections.
Leadership in sociocracy is peer-oriented and based on accountability to own commitments and to the circle. Many people also combine sociocracy with restorative justice or Nonviolent Communication to align their practice with their values and to improve their effectiveness and communication.
Selection process
A sociocratic circle chooses together who will fill an operational or circle role. The most common process to choose that person is the selection process with nominations, change round and consent.
Ready to learn?
More sociocracy resources: articles and videos
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Programs for schools: Mindfulness First.
Mindfulness first is a nonprofit that promotes mindfulness in schools and beyond.
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Platform co-op governance: deep democracy on scale
An article about governance of (large) platform coops and the tweaks we’d have to make to use sociocracy successfully.
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Blue Scorcher: A bakery worker cooperative in the US sociocracy case study
Language: Español This case study is helpful if you: are part of a worker coop in any sector or would like to see a tried and tested, established implementation of […]
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Better time management in meetings – with sociocracy
Longing for better time management in meetings? Curious what sociocracy has to offer? This video with Ted Rau gives an overview!
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Common pitfalls for implementation of sociocracy
A change in governance or an organization can be compared to open-heart surgery. Just like heart surgery is invasive for a human organism, so is a change in governance. Recognizing that is key to understanding pitfalls in implementing sociocracy.
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The first certified sociocracy trainer in Poland!
Language: Español From today I am officially the first certified sociocracy trainer in Poland! My little ego is proud to send this message out to the world. At the same […]
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Desafíos y aprendizajes en la implementación de sociocracia en 3 comunidades latinas
Javiera Silva, Beatriz Arjona, Mauge Cañada y Daniela de Oliveira | 19:00 UTC
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The Holma Folk Highschool: A permaculture school in Sweden sociocracy case study
This case study features a large permaculture school in Sweden.
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Monday Homeschool Co-operative – Story of a Sociocratic Homeschool cooperative
Language: Español Are you part of a volunteer organization with very flat hierarchy at the risk of burn out? The Monday Homeschool Co-operative is a self proclaimed eclectic group of […]
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Sociocracy for All Governance Agreement
Sociocracy for All’s Governance Agreement
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Co-op principles align with Sociocracy
Sociocracy and cooperatives both share values – from the self-help and self-responsibility of organising collectively to solve problems and improve our lives, prioritising a form of deeply democratic participative governance, and supporting equality, equity and solidarity.
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A cohousing using sociocracy: Pioneer Valley
A sociocratic community in Massachusetts that switched over after almost 20 years of consensus.
