Jennie Robinson Faber
136ee2442b
9 session pages and 10 PS Guide markdown files for the Baby Ghosts cooperative foundations curriculum. Import script creates documents in Outline wiki with cross-links between paired session/PS Guide pages.
154 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
154 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
# 4: Decision-Making in Practice
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## **What happens in session**
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Studios explore cooperative decision-making frameworks (consensus, consent, majority, delegation, random chance). They practice identifying who gets to raise issues, work through decision-making steps, and discuss handling dissent. The session also covers meetings (roles, facilitation, rotating responsibilities) and the "genius trap." Studios do a facilitation rotation practice in groups of three. The Informal Hierarchy Check-In is introduced as an ongoing tool.
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:::tip
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**Homework assigned:** practice one decision-making framework on a real decision, map current role distribution, complete the Informal Hierarchy Check-In as a studio, and notice where decisions happen this week.
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:::
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### :eyes: **Your role during session**
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- Observe the facilitation rotation activity — note how your studio members handle facilitating, participating, and observing
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- Listen for how they talk about where decisions currently happen (meetings? DMs? default to one person?)
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- Note whether anyone identifies informal hierarchy patterns during the journaling activity
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### 👆 **Your role after session**
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- Make sure your studio understands the Informal Hierarchy Check-In questions and plans to work through them together
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- Confirm they've chosen which decision-making framework to practice this week
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- Check that they understand the difference between consensus and consent — this trips people up
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## **This week's Studio Support Meeting: Decision-Making Practice + Informal Hierarchy Check-In**
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### **📚 Materials**
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- Informal Hierarchy Check-In questions (from session)
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- Decision-making frameworks reference (consensus, consent, majority, delegation)
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- The studio's notes from the facilitation rotation activity
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### **👆 Before the session**
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- Know which decision-making framework the studio chose to practice
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- Have a small, real decision ready in case the studio can't think of one (e.g., "What should your next team social activity be?" or "How should you structure your next sprint?")
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- Review the 5 Informal Hierarchy Check-In questions so you can facilitate them smoothly
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### **🌊 Session flow**
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#### **Check-in (5 min)**
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"What did you notice in the facilitation rotation? What was harder than expected — facilitating, participating, or observing?"
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#### **Practice a decision-making framework (20-25 min)**
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Help the studio work through a real decision using their chosen framework.
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**Set up (3 min):**
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- Name the decision clearly. Write it down where everyone can see it.
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- Name the framework you're using — "We're going to try consent on this."
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- Clarify: who is affected by this decision? Does everyone here need to be part of it?
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**Work through the decision-making steps (15-20 min):**
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1. Understand the context — what's happening? What do people feel about it?
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2. Identify the underlying need — what are we actually trying to address?
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3. Generate options — encourage weird ideas. Notice who contributes.
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4. Check alignment with values — how do these options fit with who you want to be?
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5. Evaluate consequences — who benefits, who's affected, trade-offs?
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6. Decide using the framework — name the method before you begin.
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7. Before finalizing: "Does anyone have concerns they haven't voiced? Is anyone agreeing just to move on?"
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8. Clarify implementation — who does what? When do you check back?
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**Debrief (5 min):**
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- "How did that feel compared to how you usually make decisions?"
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- "What was different about naming the framework first?"
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- "Did anyone notice moments where old patterns kicked in?"
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#### **Informal Hierarchy Check-In (15-20 min)**
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Work through the five questions together. Go one at a time.
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1. **Who spoke most in our last meeting?**
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2. **Whose idea did we go with by default?**
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3. **Who knows how to do [X] that no one else knows?**
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4. **What happened last time someone disagreed?**
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5. **Whose schedule shapes our meeting times?**
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Prompts to keep it exploratory, not accusatory:
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- "No guilt here — we're just noticing."
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- "These patterns aren't problems yet. But under pressure, they become cracks."
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- "What would you want to change? What's actually fine?"
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Capture observations — they'll bring these to Session 5.
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#### **Close (5 min)**
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- "What's one pattern you noticed that you want to keep an eye on?"
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- Remind them to notice where decisions happen this week (in meetings? DMs? Slack? who's present?)
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### 👉 **Also this week**
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#### **Map your current role distribution**
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This can be done async or as part of the PS meeting if there's time. The question is simple: for each role/responsibility in the studio, where did it come from — explicit decision or implicit default?
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Prompts:
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- "Who handles finances? Was that decided or did it just happen?"
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- "Who schedules meetings? Who takes notes? Who answers external emails?"
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- "Are there roles no one officially has but someone 'just does'?"
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This feeds directly into Session 5's governance work.
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### :star: **Tips**
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If the decision-making practice feels artificial:
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- "The point isn't the outcome — it's noticing the process. How you decide matters as much as what you decide."
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If one person dominates the decision:
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- "I noticed [name] spoke first and longest. Can we try a round where everyone shares before discussion?"
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If no one disagrees:
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- "That was quick! Is everyone actually aligned, or is someone going along to keep things moving?" (This is a direct reference to the dissent section from the session.)
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If the hierarchy check-in gets tense:
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- "This isn't about blame. The same name coming up a lot is information, not an indictment."
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If someone gets defensive:
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- "It's okay — noticing patterns is the hardest part. You don't need to fix anything today."
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### **🏁 After the session**
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- Note which patterns came up in the Informal Hierarchy Check-In — especially anything the studio seemed to avoid discussing
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- Note how the decision-making practice went — did they actually use the framework or fall back into old patterns?
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- Bring observations to your PS check-in
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## :triangular_flag_on_post: **Red flags to watch for**
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- A studio that "decides" everything by default to one person and calls it delegation
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- Someone consistently going along without engaging — "I'm fine with whatever"
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- Resistance to the hierarchy check-in — "we don't have hierarchy, we're all equal" (everyone has patterns)
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- Decisions happening outside the room (in DMs between two people) and being presented as done
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- The same person always facilitating, taking notes, or scheduling
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