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THE COMMUNITY STORE
always asks the question, what can be done to help groups of people
work together productively? Groups require attention because typically
they exhibit behaviors that impede their own progress. The focus is
to invent and use processes that help groups generate, develop and select
between ideas. We are especially interested in helping people who are
dissatisfied with their community and do not feel obligated to accept
the status quo.
The work is most satisfying and enduring if the community or group is
ready to...
Trust democracy. They are willing to include everyone who has
a stake in the outcome.
Exercise the muscle of citizenship. The truism that "if you don't
use it you can lose it" applies to citizenship. Citizenship is in jeopardy
because "representative democracy" asks very few people -usually just
those elected to office -- to do the work of citizenship for the rest
of us. To sustain democracy, everyone should have the opportunity to
participate actively in the decisions that effect their lives.
Focus on the future. But not by avoiding the past. The challenge
is to understand the past but not allow it to immobilize the group from
moving forward.
Be inventive. Adapt approaches to fit your circumstances. Avoid
generic approaches to group or community problem solving.
Create a political mandate for change. Plans sit on shelves because
while they may reflect the best advice experts can provide, they do
not have a political mandate.
Understand that there are different types of power. An inclusive
collaborative process will provide one kind of power - permission to
act - but permission alone is insufficient. Other kinds of power, controlled
by people who hold electoral office and who can allocate public and
private resources, are critical to achieving what the citizens in a
collaborative process say they want to do.
Pay attention to implementation from the outset of a process.
It is a common and serious mistake to consider implementation of the
results of a process after the completion of the process. You should
talk about whether you have the means to do something even before you
make the decision to undertake doing it. Don't ask people what they
want until you know they have a way to act on their wants.
Use experts to serve citizens. Avoid the common mistake of involving
citizens only after experts have decided what to do. Use a variety of
ways to learn what citizens want, rather than hold hearings to ask citizens
what they think of an expert's solution.
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