Dynamic Management for Organizations.
Sociocracy was first proposed in 1851 as an alternative model to democracy, a government of the masses with voting privileges. It comes from the Latin socius and cracia, which means government of partners/friends.
This model considers 7 transversal principles:
Effectiveness involves investing time only in what brings us closer to our objectives. It consists of avoiding or eliminating information overload, over-argumentation, and lack of focus to maintain high achievement and results.
Consent is the basis of decision-making according to this model. Consent occurs when there is an absence of objections, i.e., justified reasons why the decision could jeopardize the flow of value. When there are objections to a conclusion, they are heard, and their input is integrated into the decision. In this way, we ensure that all those affected by the decision have the space to object and influence the agreement justifiably. Although an objection may be an impediment, it is up to us to see and take advantage of the value they have in themselves. It is not about stopping the decision; it is about improving it.
Equivalence ensures that all those affected by a decision have the power to object to it and contribute to the agreement. It also implies that all objections have the same weight regardless of the role or hierarchy of the objector.
Accountability has to do precisely with the commitment implied in being part of the formulation of proposals and decision-making. This principle postulates that since people participate in these processes, they must have a sufficient level of accountability to maintain and comply with the agreements they establish.
Empiricism seeks to build knowledge based on experience and not on assumptions. This also implies constant re-evaluation and learning from the agreement to evolve decisions and actions constantly.
Continuous improvement is closely related to the previous principle since it promotes that from the empirical evidence in the experience, people or teams can learn and redirect their decisions towards new areas of greater effectiveness. This principle also implies that evolution is better than revolution; it invites us to take what works and improve it instead of destroying what already exists.
Finally, the principle of transparency states that since everyone can participate in proposals and decisions, all information is freely accessible. Confidentiality requires consent. This principle encourages group members to make decisions with support, references, and arguments.
Sociocracy 3.0 starts from the premise that organizations are like living organisms, so each member acts as a nerve terminal of the same, detecting and perceiving multiple tensions that can come from inside or outside the organism. All people feel pressure, but in traditional organizational contexts, we do not have the power or the attribution to declare them. In Sociocracy 3.0, sensing, detecting, and communicating tensions is a central part of giving life and feedback to the system, allowing the adaptive capacity, and therefore the possibilities of further development, to increase.
Author:
Executive Director of Memetica.
Photo by Inteligencia Artificial CANVA
