<< FORMING A GROUP AROUND YOUR POSITION: >>
The initial Strategy of taking the Concerned Position of raising your
concerns without framing the issue in terms of `sides' will be the source of
your power as a group and the basic foundation for your work towards effective
action. This position is so important that you will want to consider choosing
this position first and then forming your group around this position.

<< SMALL CORE GROUP NEEDED TO SETUP: >>
Before trying to gather a number of people together on your issue, you
will need to set up to be ready for them. Setup is a very important part of
group formation and is best accomplished by a small group of people. This
small group (the Core Group) will establish the basic organization and
Strategy of your group and build a good foundation for including more people
later on.
It is important to resist the temptation to gather together as many
people as possible to set up because large groups are difficult to work with,
especially when you are just starting out. Working in a small group first
will give you valuable experience that will prepare you for working with more
people later on.
 

PROBLEMS IN LARGER GROUPS:
Bringing together a number of people with different backgrounds and
points of view in a large group makes it difficult to reach agreement and
focus action. In addition, there are a number of tendencies that increase as
group size increases that have the effect of excluding some types of people
from participation while favoring others.
Studies have shown that as group size increases many people become more
reluctant to talk in front of the larger group, and a few of the more forceful
people come to do more of the talking and decision making. The others feel
less personally involved and less needed. Their interest in the group
declines and many stop coming to meetings. The result is that the more
forceful people dominate in a larger group at the expense of the less forceful
people. This can then lead to a serious erosion of the group's grassroots
support.
 

SMALL GROUPS: MANY ADVANTAGES:
In contrast to large groups, small groups tend to encourage full
participation by all members. People report high satisfaction with their
involvement in small groups.
Studies have shown that people in small groups relate more personally
with each other, feel more free to talk, and have more time to talk. In
addition, the feeling of friendly positive association with other members
allows the group to work together without needing a leader or formal
structure.

IDEAL SIZE OF WORKING GROUP: 2 TO 7 MEMBERS:
When group size increases above 6 or 7 members then the
characteristics of a large group predominate. Experience and studies have
shown that the ideal size of a group of people working on a project and making
decisions together is between 2 and 7 people (with an average of 4 or 5).
Small groups of this size are ideally suited to handle the setting up of a
group to get ready for more members later on.
 

CREATING THE CORE GROUP:
The Core Group of 2 to 7 members could be formed by inviting people
who are concerned with the issue and willing to make a commitment to put a
significant amount of time and energy into setting up the group to get off to
a good start. Once the group has been set up, Core Group members are then free
to decide to take a less active role.

DIVERSITY IN THE CORE GROUP: AN ASSET:
While being careful to choose people who will be likely to work
together well, try to include people from as wide a range of backgrounds and
points of view as possible.
 

PEOPLE BEST SUITED TO CORE GROUP PARTICIPATION:
Emotions are important in motivating people to take action on an
issue. Core Group members need to be motivated to be willing to commit a
significant amount of time and energy into setting up the group. At the same
time, they will need to develop the ability to be detached and objective to
see the situation clearly.
The best candidates for the Core Group come from people who are
average to slightly above average in their emotional involvement in the issue.
People more emotionally involved than this are not well suited to participate
in the Core Group because they have difficulty in developing the necessary
detachment to rise above their emotional involvement in the issue. These
highly motivated but emotional people are better suited to participate in the
group after it is set up. Their emotional energy can then be channelled into
specific projects where they can see the results of their work and feel that
their contribution is having an effect.
 

IF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXCEEDS 7:
If there is no way to reduce the number of people who will be actively
involved in the Core Group then you need to set up the Expanded Group. This
involves more work in organization and structure. (See Expanded Group: in
this section groups are structured with different responsibilities in an
attempt to keep the advantages of small groups while allowing an active role
for more people.)
 

DEVELOPING CONSENSUS IN YOUR GROUP: PROBLEMS WITH MAJORITY RULE IN SMALL GROUPS
In large groups majority rule may be a practical method of making
decisions. In small groups majority rule can be destructive to the sense of
unity within the group and lead to serious problems over time.
EXAMPLE: A small Core Group of 5 people are deciding on an important
action. There is a major difference of opinion within the group leading to a
vote of 3 members voting for the action and 2 voting against. Majority rule
would allow the action to take place. The result would be that 2 members
would feel very uncomfortable with the action and question the importance of
their input in the process. This could lead to serious damage to the working
relationship in the group. If this happened a number of times then the
members losing the vote would have a strong tendency to withdraw from the
group, resulting in a loss of valuable input. In addition, the concerns
raised by the members voting against the action probably also represent
concerns that other members of the community may have. These are concerns
that need to be addressed. Majority rule would allow action to be taken while
serious concerns remain unresolved.
 

CONSENSUS IS WORTH THE EFFORT:
In Consensus decision making, no action is taken without the
acceptance of all members of the Core Group. As different points of view come
up they are addressed to the satisfaction of each member before going on.
This method is practical in small groups.
The key to Consensus is careful attention to the concerns of each
individual. As each person senses their input is valued, they gradually
become more willing to reach a compromise for the good of the group. The time
spent in reaching Consensus is more than compensated for by the sense of
community and mutual respect that develops within the group. This high
motivation and personal involvement can help carry the group through even the
most trying times.
 

CONSENSUS: DISTINCT ADVANTAGES:
Small groups can benefit from using Consensus in a number of ways because:
-- People are less likely to leave the group when their input and concerns are
valued.
-- By refraining from decisions that alienate individual members, Consensus
fosters mutual respect and a good working relationship within the group.
-- In developing Consensus, people within the group learn the skills of
negotiation and compromise that will prove valuable in the future.
-- Concerns raised by individual members may represent concerns that will
arise in the larger community. By addressing them before action is taken many
potential problems are avoided.
-- Consensus, by refraining from any action that does not have the support of
all the members, tends to minimize the dangers of overzealousness that
characterize many groups dealing with emotionally charged issues.
 

HOW DOES CONSENSUS WORK:
A proposal for a position or an action is presented. Members raise
their concerns and suggest possible problems with the proposal. Through
discussion the proposal is revised to address the problems raised. Members
comment on the revised proposal and the process is repeated as long as there
is progress.

DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS ?
The proposal is stated and the question is asked `Do we have consensus
on this proposal?' Each member is individually asked what is their reaction
to the proposal in its present form. A member can take any one of the
following positions:
-- I agree.
-- I agree but still have some concerns (state the concerns).
-- I disagree for the following reasons (state the reasons) but I don't feel
it is an important enough issue to block Consensus so I'll step aside and
allow it to pass.
-- I disagree and feel it is an important enough issue that I can not support
it in its present form. Block Consensus.
 

IF CONSENSUS IS BLOCKED:
If Consensus is blocked then the action or position can not be taken
in its present form. An attempt is made to come up with a compromise that
will satisfy all the concerns or a new proposal is made.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO BREAK A DEADLOCK:
In groups that are seriously and conscientiously trying to come to an
agreement, consensus works well. Blocked consensus can often save the group
from serious mistakes and lead to alternative proposals that are more
beneficial to the group.
Some groups decide there may be a need for a method of breaking a
deadlock. Provisions can be made for a vote (usually some number above
majority) if a number of serious attempts are made and no consensus is
reached. The decision to use this method must be made very carefully because
it has all the disadvantages of majority rule and, in addition, it often leads
to the resignation of members who have their votes over-ridden. If used at
all, it should be used only to deal with a very serious situation. Most small
groups are fully satisfied with consensus and never feel the need for such an
action.
 

`WE HAVE CONSENSUS'
Once Consensus has been reached, the proposal will go on to Role
Playing where it will be tested to make sure it will have the desired results.
 

< SUMMARY 5 > FORMING A GROUP: DEVELOP CONSENSUS:

<< FORMING A GROUP AROUND YOUR POSITION: >>
The initial Strategy of taking the Concerned Position of raising your
concerns without framing the issue in terms of `sides' will be the source of
your power as a group and the basic foundation for your work towards effective
action. This position is so important that you will want to consider choosing
this position first and then forming your group around this position.

<< SMALL CORE GROUP NEEDED TO SETUP: >>
Before trying to gather a number of people together on your issue, you
will need to set up to be ready for them. Setup is a very important part of
group formation and is best accomplished by a small group of people. This
small group (the Core Group) will establish the basic organization and
Strategy of your group and build a good foundation for including more people
later on.
It is important to resist the temptation to gather together as many
people as possible to set up because large groups are difficult to work with,
especially when you are just starting out. Working in a small group first
will give you valuable experience that will prepare you for working with more
people later on.

** (C) Cicada Ridge Software **

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