SociocracyUK - Invites, training, news, resources - February update

[Martin Grimshaw]

Dear friends

Thanks for your interest in Sociocracy, Dynamic / Collaborative Governance, organisational democracy and models of smarter working.

Contents:

• 14 Feb - Help imagine the future of SociocracyUK / social

• Overview - who are we, and what have we been doing?

• Join us: Do you want to help develop this movement in the UK?

• April - Grow! 2 day unconference / seminar on organisational democracy

• John Buck's visit to the UK & Netherlands

• Establishing the UK Sociocratic Study Circle / certification - news / join in

• Case Studies, support, information, learn, connect, and use this site

Invite - 14 Feb - Designing the Vision-Mission-Aims (VMA) of SociocracyUK
If you would like to help plot the future of SociocracyUK, then you are invited to join us in Brighton on Tuesday 14 Feb, 1:30 - 4:00pm, followed by some social time, and possibly for lunch too.

Establishing the VMA is a crucial step on the way to 'producing organisation' the sociocratic way, before we incorporate as a legal entity and connect formally to the international community.

Part 2 is likely to take place on 12 April, Brighton or London, with John Buck - TBC

Please contact [e-mail] if you are interested in attending, for reservation, venue and further information.

Overview
SociocracyUK is a collaboration between 6 people who have come together to develop it, and who are committed to learning and practising professionally; however we want to be more open and invite others to join and to help us accelerate and deliver more.

We have been making steady progress, albeit with limited resources, and meeting and collaborating regularly for over a year. We have been functioning as a sociocratic general circle, and have informal links to the international community, not least via overlapping membership with S.E.E.D. Co-op / DecisionLab which is formally connected to the Sociocratic Professional Association.

SociocracyUK is currently Sue Bell, Francois Knuchel, Louis Loizou, Julian Howell, Nathaniel Whitestone, Martin Grimshaw.

It is our intention to help to connect up and make visible the growing community, offer resources and opportunities to learn together and support professional development including formal certification, promote the use of Sociocracy (some of us like 'Collaborative Governance') in the UK. We have made progress on all fronts, but we are limited without you...

Join us?
Do you want to help develop this movement in the UK? Develop your skills and experience in order to support your career? Are you passionate about creating smarter, more effective, more pleasant workplaces? Please help us go faster and further.

Please get in touch with [e-mail] for a chat, no matter what background, skills, location or time availability you have. We would like input on strategy and sociocratic practice, promotion including online / social media and blog writing and article gathering, networking and events, developing training material including online and more. We are very keen to connect better with others beyond the South East.

April - Grow! 10 & 11 April, Brighton.
A 1-2 day 'UnConference' and seminars exploring approaches to Organisational Democracy

As part of the annual hosting of John Buck's visit to Britain, Sociocracy UK, in partnership with DecisionLab and sponsors Co-operativesUK, ConsciousBusiness.co.uk, the Employee Ownership Association and South-East Co-operative Support, invite you to join us and give wings to your business.

http://decisionlab.org.uk/grow

John Buck will also be visiting Scotland 17-19 April, and may have some available time to do something locally - please email [e-mail] if that interests you.

Members of SociocracyUK will also be joining John and others in the international community, in the Netherlands for the annual gathering and 'Landelijkedag' 13-15 April.

There might still be an opportunity to arrange an appointment or event with John in any remaining available time during his annual British and Dutch tour - please contact [e-mail]

The UK's Sociocratic Study Circle is making arrangements to hold it's first 'compass setting' gathering with John Buck, in which we assess our various needs and direction. We are likely to meet online in order to make this accessible for people around Britain, or a combination of online and face to face.

Please get in touch with [e-mail] to discuss your participation, dates and needs.

More here: https://sociocracyuk.ning.com/forum/topics/establishing-a-new-socio...

It is intended to allow people to better develop their understanding and professional development, become certified, and connect with a supportive community of peers.

How you can find support, information, learn together & connect, and use this site

Learn and connect with us and with others

We would love to arrange some informal co-learning sessions, when we have enough interest, in which we explore aspects of Sociocracy by applying them to real 'live' case studies, share our learning and try on our consultant hats:

https://sociocracyuk.ning.com/forum/categories/what-do-we-need-how-...

We would love to meet face to face with you, perhaps very informally and socially, or perhaps at a more structured networking event, or perhaps as invitees to your gathering or conference, and possibly outside the South East, where we have been most active so far.

https://sociocracyuk.ning.com/forum/topics/would-you-like-to-meet-u...

Let others know about your event: post yours there (and rebroadcast the link). Just click on the Events button at the top of the main page.

Playspace

Maybe you have a niche interest, and would like to start an online group or shared, open workspace? Or a pet project you're now ready to seek collaboration with?

Why not try posting something here, and sharing with your peers?
https://sociocracyuk.ning.com/forum/categories/projects-collaborati...

Please add your brief case study / Resources

Part of our motivation for starting and supporting this community is because we sensed a lack of connection between people who have been using or discovering Sociocracy in the UK, and case studies have not been visible. You can find a simple one page graphic to help explain the basic essence of Sociocracy - print off and use as you like - and please also post any stories and links that you know of here:

https://sociocracyuk.ning.com/forum/categories/resources-1/listForC...

There are two great and growing resources that you can now point others to, and add to yourself, using this link : What Is Sociocracy?

Blog articles and video
There are some great posts up, connecting the London riots, feedback loops, Changing the World by Changing the Way We Make Decisions, Marketing Sociocracy To Business, Organisational Permaculture and more. Please do rebroadcast your favourites on your websites, Twitter feeds and so on, and post your own relevant articles or get in touch with [e-mail] to discuss your possible contribution.
https://sociocracyuk.ning.com/profiles/blog/list

For a collection of short films, or to add your own, click on the 'videos' link at SociocracyUK

 

Our role is to maintain this platform for your self-organisation. Please make the best use of this resource by checking in from time to time, sharing, asking and befriending.

Follow DecisionLab's Twitter @DLabCoop for regular sociocracy related news and training, the events page on this site, or sign up to receive CoLaborative Times by email or check the events page there.

Thanks for your interest and very best wishes for all your endeavours!

Martin Grimshaw

on behalf of SociocracyUK