Harvest Bounty webinar feedback – The Sociocracy Consulting Group

We would appreciate your feedback on our Harvest Bounty webinar documentary video. The questions below are based on Edward DeBono’s “six thinking hats” model of analysis.

White Hat - describe the documentary in terms of considering purely what information is available - what are the facts?.

Red Hat - describe the documentary in terms of intuitive or instinctive gut reactions or statements of emotional feeling (without any justification).

Black Hat - describe the documentary in terms of logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservative, practical, realistic.

Yellow Hat - describe the documentary in terms of logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony, seeing the brighter side of situations.

Blue Hat - describe the documentary in terms of overview and observations - what is the subject, the goal, the big picture?

Green Hat - describe the documentary in terms of thinking creatively, provocation, investigation, new ideas & possibilities.

Problems Solved From Both Ends

When I was an enlisted man in the Navy, I wondered why the officers didn’t listen to our good ideas. When I became an officer, I wondered why I could never get the enlisted men to tell me what they were thinking. I tell you from experience that sociocracy solves this problem from both ends.

Richard Heitfield, President, Creative Urethanes, Winchester, Virginia

Feels Natural

Sociocracy is a process that feels natural. It's like getting a new game from the toy store. Some games you're agonizing over the rule book trying to figure it out. Other games you're playing within 15 minutes – sociocracy is like that. A person coming into the company can quickly plug in. And the decision making process speaks for itself.

Joe Garrison, Co-owner, Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe cooperative

Increased Staff Engagement

Our practitioners and members of the staff seemed happy enough, but they weren't really engaged in the business of running our center. All the management thinking seemed to float up to me. Now, with sociocracy, everyone is communicating about our processes. We are getting more efficient and some of the load is coming off my shoulders.

Executive Director of a Vermont healthcare center

Incredible Results

I recommend sociocracy. It's completely, really taken us by surprise. We didn't expect to adopt it, then we didn't expect to adopt it so quickly, and we had no idea the results would be so incredible. I would like to find a way to let more organizations know about it.

Renee Owen, Executive Director, Rainbow Community School, Asheville, North Carolina

Fewer Meetings, Better Decisions

We adopted sociocracy and all of a sudden there is a room full of empowered people helping make decisions. People feel different. I’d say that at the end of 100% of our circle meetings - where we set policy - everyone says, 'My goodness. I feel so much more energized.' We have fewer meetings over time as we’ve implemented sociocracy, the decisions are better, and the follow-through is better because everyone’s on board.

Paul Kervick, Outreach Coordinator and Board Member, Vermont

All voices heard

I was especially struck by how the structure of the meeting allowed all voices to be heard, and resisted any one person dominating the discussion. I have held leadership positions in several nonprofit organizations and work with nonprofits in my consulting business, so I have spent a lot of time in meetings! I think so many organizations -- not just nonprofits -- will find they can accomplish more, and more inclusively, using a sociocratic meeting model.

Kristen Sbrogna, parent at Five Creeks Studio educational resource center for homeschooling families