Customizing meetings
Add unique rituals to how you do things
Rituals are connecting and meaningful for groups everywhere. For thousands of years, humans have found ways to make gatherings special.
Meetings don’t have to be an exception. And yes, we suggest a meeting format. But it’s meant to be a suggestion! A bare minimum.
The intention of sociocracy is not to keep process to the minimum but to make sure all the nuts-and-bolts processes are covered. But you can add more!
The sociocratic meeting format is like equipping a bedroom with a bed, table, and a dresser. But that doesn’t mean you need to live in a sterile environment. Add color and beauty by adding your own unique rituals that express your unique group’s identity - a poem, a land acknowledgment, a dance, a song, or a game, a special tea to share - whatever it is for you.
Over the millennia, people have always decorated and created art. It’s one way to create meaning, and that’s not a vanity thing but a vital expression of our humanity. In our modern life, we often strip items and processes of the “vanity” that would make things more fun.
Maybe you already have cherished little ways of making your meetings your unique meetings. And maybe you haven’t. While I don’t suggest you artificially add something just so it’s unique, I say give yourself permission to add vanity back in! What makes you you? How can you celebrate and give shape to your group’s identity?
Share your special and unique meeting rituals below!