Sociocracy is a governance method that aims to create a more equitable and effective organization by promoting shared decision-making and distributed power.
When it comes to applying sociocracy to a specific context such as an organization, business or community, there are various roles and levels of expertise that can be involved.
Here are some potential roles and levels of expertise for practitioners, facilitators, trainers, and consultants in the context of spreading sociocracy:
- Practitioner:
A practitioner is someone who is familiar with the basic principles of sociocracy and has applied them in an organization, business or community. They may have experience facilitating meetings or decision-making processes using sociocratic methods, and they are comfortable working within the framework of sociocratic governance.
To become a SoFA Certified Practitioner, someone should aquire the following badges:
S1: writing Vision, Mission, Aim (VMA)
S2: Designing circle structures
S3: Circle roles
S4: operational role descriptions
F2: using the basic meeting format
A1: rolling out policy
A2: keeping minutes and a backlog
T1: tools for emotional emergencies
T4: inviting connection and authenticity
T6: giving feedback and making requests
- Facilitator:
A facilitator is someone who has developed more advanced skills in facilitating sociocratic meetings and decision-making processes. They may have experience working with larger groups, managing tensions / conflicts, and helping groups to navigate complex decision-making situations.
Facilitators may also be responsible for guiding other members of the organization or community in practicing sociocracy.
To become a SoFA Certified Facilitator, someone should aquire the following badges:
S5: forming a helping circle or sub-circle
F1: facilitation strategies
F3: facilitating the policy process
F4: facilitating the consent process
F5: integrating objections
F6: facilitating simple and complex selection
A5: policy review
A6: performance review
T2: equity and inclusion
T3: strategies for better listening
- Trainer:
A trainer is someone who is skilled in teaching others about sociocracy and its principles. They may have a deep understanding of sociocracy theory, as well as practical experience in applying it in real-world settings.
Trainers may offer workshops or training sessions to help others learn about sociocracy, and they may work with organizations to develop customized training programs.
To become a SoFA Certified Trainer, someone should aquire the following badges:
S6: flow of information in organizations
A3: keeping a logbook
A4: workflow
T5: let’s talk about power
C1: giving a 1 hour presentation on sociocracy
C2: answering questions in Q&A session
C3: running a half-day workshop
C4: running a one-day workshop
C5: running a two-day workshop
C6: organization structure training & evaluation
- Consultant:
A consultant is someone who provides expert advice and guidance on sociocracy to sofa spreading businesses or communities. They may have experience working with a wide range of organizations, and they can offer insights and recommendations based on their knowledge and expertise.
Consultants may help organizations to develop strategies for implementing sociocracy, troubleshoot problems, and provide ongoing support as needed.
Overall, the roles and levels of expertise involved in spreading sociocracy in organizations, businesses or communities will depend on the specific needs and goals of the organization.
Whether someone is a practitioner, a facilitator, a trainer, or a consultant, the focus will be on helping the organization to create a more collaborative, equitable, and effective governance structure using sociocracy.
From the beginning, reading the book “Who Decides Who Decides by Ted Rau” I identified myself with sociocracy and I felt a strong desire to spread it. Now, my personal goal in SoFA is learning and practicing sociocracy in order to be able to share and teach it my native language.
The Sociocracy Academy organized by SoFA is a practical way for continuous learning and practice, offering the opportunity to reach different levels of knowledge and expertise such as: practitioner, facilitator, trainer and consultant.
My goal is to reach the trainer level as soon as possible and teach sociocracy in my native language.
I love sociocracy, mankind and all of you!
Your friend.
p.s. At this moment I am the coordinator of the Community of Practice for Facilitators (CoP-F) and 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) disscusion 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!