Sociocracy is a decision-making and governance model that aims to create inclusive and effective organizations.
In a sociocratic organization, individuals serve in various roles that are designed to distribute authority and decision-making power throughout the organization.
Here are some common roles that you may find in a sociocratic organization:
- Circle Leader:
The leader (coordinator) ensure that the circle’s goals are achieved and that the circle operates effectively. The leader also serves as a bridge (link) between the parent circle and the child circle in a sociocratic organization. He represent the parent circle into the child circle and ensure that information flows smoothly from the parent circle into the child circle. The leader (coordinator) has fully membership and consent rights in both, the parent circle and the child circle.
Sample qualifications for leader (coordinator) (from MVOS):
- good listener
- good feel for the group
- experience and knowledge in circle domain
- capacity (time)
- trustworthy
- owning it when making mistakes
- knows how to delegate tasks
- accountable
- reliable
- Circle Secretary:
The secretary supports the circle leader in managing the administrative aspects of the circle, such as scheduling meetings, documenting decisions, and maintaining records. They also assist with communication and coordination among circle members. He take notes and keep the minutes and the backlog updated.
Sample qualifications for secretary (scribe) (from MVOS):
- computer skills / typing
- multi-tasking (participate in the meeting and type)
- good sinthesizer
- accountable
- knows how to keep minutes short and easy to understand
- Circle Facilitator:
The facilitator is responsible for guiding the circle’s decision-making process and ensuring that all members have an opportunity to contribute their perspectives (equivalence). They facilitate discussions, manage conflicts, and ensure that decisions are made using consent-based decision-making, which means that decisions are made when tmembers have no (more) objections.
Sample qualifications for facilitator (from MVOS):
- good listener
- good feel for the group
- facilitation experience
- skills in nonviolent communication
- knowledge in sociocratic processes
- confidence in front of the people but not ego-driven
- cheerful
- excited about process
- Circle Delegate:
The delegate serves as a bridge (link) between the child circle and the parent circle in a sociocratic organization. He represent the child circle into the parent circle and ensure that information flows smoothly from the child circle into the parent circle. The delegate has fully membership and consent rights in both, the child circle and the parent circle.
Sample qualifications for delegate (from MVOS):
- good feel for the group
- capacity to attend additional meetings
- non-divisive
- good listener
- synthesize all the voices in a group
- long-standing member
- able to function well at broader level
- Circle Member:
Circle Members actively participate in the decision-making process and contribute their perspectives and expertise to the circle’s work. They may hold specific operational roles or responsibilities within the circle based on their skills, interests, and expertise.
- Double-Links:
The leader and the delegate of a circle are the double links between the child circle and the parent (broader) circle. The leader and the delegate of a circle has full membership and consent rights in both the child circle and the parent circle. This links (the leader and the delegate) ensure effective communication (information flow) and coordination (equivalence) between circles. They ensure that no circle have power-over the other circle.
It’s important to note that sociocratic organizations are typically designed to be adaptable and flexible, so roles may vary depending on the specific organization’s needs and context.
The key principle in sociocracy is that decisions are made acording to the circle’s domains and aims,. Roles are filled through selection (or by volunteering) based qualifications and consent.
Announcement:
I invite all those interested in practicing sociocratic meeting facilitation or sharing real life experiences related to the sociocratic facilitation process to join our community and attend our meetings.
Community of Practice for Facilitators (CoP-F)
Are you holding the role of the facilitator of a circle in your organization? Would it help you to reflect with others on what it means to be a facilitator in a sociocratic organization? Would you like to practice being a facilitator? This Community Of Practice might be helpful for you!
Meeting time:
The meeting for this group is on the second Monday of each month for 90 minutes.
There are two different events on the same day:
CoP-F East: at 14:00 UTC
(for zones like Asia, Europe, Africa and eastern North America)
and
CoP-F West: at 18:30 UTC
(for zones like western North America, South America or Asia-Pacific).
We want to offer everybody the opportunity to choose a convenient meeting according to their/her/his time zone.
Community of Practice for Facilitators (CoP-F) discussion forum page:
Meeting Facilitation and Decision Making Sheet article:
In the Community of Practice for Facilitators (CoP-F) no one teaches anyone, but we all learn from each other by practicing and sharing real life experiences.
We welcome your presence and contribution. It will enrich all of our sociocracy knowledge.
Best wishes to all of you!