4.1 KiB
1: Coop Principles & Power
What happens in session
In this session, we cover cooperative history and lineages, crediting Global South, Indigenous, Black, women's traditions, not just Rochdale. We also review the 7 ICA Principles.
The theme is moving from principles to personal values.
:::tip Homework assigned: individual journaling, team values map (with PS), and individual prep for The Talk (Session 2).
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👀 Your role during session
- Observe small group activity (cooperative lineage sharing) – note whose stories are shared
- Listen for how studios talk about values – vague or specific?
This week's Studio Support Meeting: Values Mapping
📚 Materials
- Studio Miro board with Values Mapping template
- 7 Principles reference
👆 Before the session
- Confirm everyone completed their individual journaling (Session 1 homework)
- Ensure the studio Miro board has the template
- Have the 7 Principles visible (on the board or screen-shared)
🌊 Session flow
Check-in (5 min)
Individual sharing (15-20 min) – Each person shares 3-5 values from their individual reflection.
Prompts:
- "What values came up when you did the journaling?"
- "You don't need to explain or justify."
As they share: each person adds values to the Miro board (stickies in their colour/section). No discussion – just capture.
Watch for: Someone dominating or going first every time; someone staying quiet – invite them in gently; values that sound the same but might mean different things to different people.
Noticing patterns (10-15 min)
Look at the board together.
Prompts:
- "What do you notice?"
- "Where do you see overlap?"
- "Any surprises?"
- "Are there values that seem similar but might mean different things to different people?"
Example to offer: "Transparency" – does it mean open documents? Open conversations? Both? Neither? What exactly is meant?
Connecting to the 7 Principles (10 min)
Look at the ICA principles together.
Prompts:
- "Do you see connections between your values and these principles?"
- "Draw lines or group things if it helps." – This can be loose – don't let them fixate on making a beautiful diagram. The point is seeing that their values connect to a larger cooperative tradition.
To bring back to Session 2 (5 min)
Prompts:
- "What's one thing you learned about where your team aligns or diverges?"
- You'll share this in Session 2 – doesn't need to be polished. Have someone write it down or capture it on the board.
Community agreements contribution (5 min)
"Based on this conversation, are there 1-2 values you'd propose adding to the cohort community agreements?" Capture these to bring back to the full group.
⭐ Tips
If someone is dominating:
- "Let's hear from someone who hasn't shared yet."
If no one talks… awkward silence:
- "Take a minute to look at the board silently. What stands out?"
If tension emerges:
- "Sounds like there are some different perspectives here. That's useful but we don't need to resolve it today."
If they want to debate definitions:
- "It's okay to mean different things. The goal is simply to notice where you might need to clarify later."
If time runs short:
- Prioritize steps 2-3 (sharing and noticing). The principles connection and agreements contribution can be done async if needed.
🏁After the session
- Note any tensions/surprises for your PS check-in
- Remind the team to bring their learnings to Session 2
👉 Also this week
Make sure they're prepping for The Talk
Session 2 homework includes individual prep on four topics: financial reality, time/availability, skills/contributions, decision-making styles.
:::warning They need to write their answers down before Session 2. Check that they're doing this!
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🚩 Red flags to watch for
- A studio that can't name any values beyond "we want to make good games" – don't we all! Too vague.
- One person speaking for the group about "our" values
- Values that are all abstract with no grounding in practice