Context

Sociocracy 3.0 offers a process called “navigating via tensions” which we have found to be consistently effective in allowing us to work through the jumble of reactions, triggers, hopes and fears that happen in the hurly-burly of trying to do the right thing in the face of a chaotic and collapsing society. If you want to understand the philosophy behind it, check out Navigating via Tensions: Learning to believe what you see. 

The navigation process is simple and you can adapt it easily to fit the needs of your local community or group. We use a basic circle process for our Navigating Tensions sessions. See Circle Process Basics for more information on how to host a circle. The process can be done in person or online via Zoom or other similar services. 

The Process

After the welcome and introduction, everyone has a chance to share their tensions in the first round — that felt sense of a gap between the world we find ourselves in and the world we know (or hope) is possible. 

Then, in the second round, everyone is invited to step back to identify what we notice in the multiple tensions we’ve all shared. 

Often we do a third round where everyone is encouraged to look a bit deeper; to look under the surface at the drivers that actually animate the situation. The tensions are only the flashing light on the dashboard; what are the actual dynamics that they are pointing to? (And often, these drivers come out naturally in the second round.) 

We work with the assumption that drivers always come in dynamic pairs or sets. It’s never either/or. It’s always about balancing competing and necessary demands. 

And it’s always in the goal of finding a “so what?” so the fourth round asks participants what can we learn and how can that learning help us move forward more effectively? 

Nearly always, this relies on the “Serenity Principle” — we have to learn to accept what we cannot change, steel our courage to take action on the things we can, and be constantly experimenting to uncover the wisdom to know which is which. 

Finally, the closing round asks people for their take-aways to anchor in the learning from the session. 

Feedback

We would love to learn from your experience. If you have any suggestions for improvement, add a comment. If you have any questions, contact the Help Desk or sign up for Office Hours.