This workshop explores ways to make practicing democratic governance easier by choosing the right tool for the job. We’ll review familiar and fancy-seeming tools, from email and wikis to Slack and Loomio, and compare their usefulness for discussion, decision-making, and documentation. By taking a member-centric view, we will also evaluate what tools and habits support appropriate participation (and occasional celebration).

1. BEYOND EMAIL
HOW TO CHOOSE TOOLS FOR
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
A WORKSHOP BY ME, DANNY@PEAKAGENCY.CO, FOR
THE WESTERN WORKER CO-OP CONFERENCE
IN BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
ON 9/21/2015

2. ASK A FRIEND
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME
YOU PARTICIPATED IN
MAKING A COLLECTIVE
DECISION? HOW’D IT GO?

3. GOAL/AGENDA
• TOOLS ARE JUST TOOLS
• CASE STUDY: ADOBE BOOKS
• THE TOOL USE MAP
• MAPPING EXERCISE
• INSIGHTS IN THE ROOM

4. SOME MEETINGS NEVER END

5. MOST EMAIL DOESN’T HELP

6. IF WE STOPPED ALL
MEETINGS & EMAIL,
COULD OTHER TOOLS
GET THE JOB DONE?

7. FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE,
THINK HOW ANY GIVEN TOOL CAN
FACILITATE FAIR
PARTICIPATION
AND “FAIR” IS WHAT
MEMBERS DECIDE

8. CASE STUDY
DECISION-MAKING
IN A BOOKSTORE

9. MEET ADOBE BOOKS:
• A COMMUNITY CENTER
• A CO-OP BOOKSTORE
• AN ART GALLERY & RESIDENCY
• 2 WORKER-OWNERS NEAR FULL-TIME
• 12 WORKER-OWNERS @4HRS/WK
• MANY VOLUNTEER MEMBERS

10. THIS IS THEIR TOOL KIT:
• 1 BOARD MEETING PER MONTH
• INTERNAL EMAIL GROUP
• LOOSE COMMITTEES
• EVENT CALENDAR
• LOOMIO®

11. NEW LIGHTING NEEDED?
• MAJOR COST
• LOOSE PROPOSAL
• EVENTUALLY INSTALLED!

12. TABLING AND CITY POLITICS?
• RISK OF AFFILIATION
• EMAIL LED TO MEETING
• PASSED NEW CO-OP POLICY

13. HERE’S HOW THEY MAKE IT WORK:
• PEOPLE WHO SEE POTENTIAL SPEAKS UP
• A CONCRETE PROPOSAL GETS TRACTION
• MEMBER ENGAGEMENT DEFINES PROGRESS

14. THE TOOL-USE MAP
TWO QUESTIONS TO CHOOSE
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB

15. FOR SIMPLICITY, LET’S SAY
EVERYTHING BEFORE A
DECISION
IS SOME FORM OF
DISCUSSION

16. EACH DECISION HAS SOME LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE,
ITS RELATIVE PRIORITY FOR THE GROUP

17. EACH DECISION HAS SOME LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE,
ITS RELATIVE PRIORITY FOR THE GROUP
AND, TO REACH ANY DECISION…
ALL DISCUSSION HAS SOME LEVEL OF INTENSITY,
THE INTERACTION REQUIRED FOR FAIR PARTICIPATION

18. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION

19. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

20. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
INFORMED?
INVOLVED?
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

21. WITH A FRIEND,
TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGES IN
DISCUSSION AND DECISION-
MAKING. PUT A FEW POINTS
ON THE MAP.
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
?
?
?

22. HOW DOES YOUR MEMBER ENGAGEMENT LOOK?
RESPONSIVE (IDEAL)
X
X
X
REACTIVE SATURATED SUFFOCATED

23. MEETINGS
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION

24. ❤❤❤MEETINGS
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
❤❤

25. ❤❤❤
❤
MEETINGS
EMAIL
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
❤❤
•

26. DOCUMENTATION
COLLABORATIVELY
EDIT WEB CONTENT
AND SITE STRUCTURE,
PLUS TRACKING AND
ACCESS LEVELS

27. ❤❤❤
❤
•
MEETINGS
EMAIL
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
❤❤
•
•

28. TASK MANAGEMENT
CENTER
CONVERSATION
AROUND TASKS,
WHICH YOU CAN
ASSIGN, SCHEDULE,
AND MODIFY

29. ❤❤❤
❤
•
•
MEETINGS
EMAIL
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
❤❤
•
•
❤

30. DISCUSSION
CHAT AND SHARE
FILES IN REAL-TIME,
ORGANIZED BY
TOPIC, PLUS
PRIVATE GROUPS
AND DIRECT
MESSAGING

31. ❤❤❤
❤
•
•
❤❤❤
MEETINGS
EMAIL
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
❤❤
•
•
❤
❤❤

32. DECISION-MAKING
ASYNCHRONOUSLY
START PROPOSALS,
SOLICIT FEEDBACK,
HOLD DISCUSSIONS,
AND MAKE DECISIONS

33. ❤❤❤
❤
•
•
❤❤❤
❤❤❤
MEETINGS
EMAIL
IMPORTANCE OF
DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
❤❤
•
•
❤
❤❤
❤❤❤

34. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION

35. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION

36. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION

37. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
ELIMINATE MOST EMAIL? MAKE MOST MEETINGS MOOT?

38. ASK YOURSELF:
WHAT JOB DOES
WHICH TOOL GET
DONE BEST,
AND WHY?

39. COFFEE
KEEPS ME AWAKE
WITH CAFFEINE (I ❤ MEETINGS)

40. IMPORTANCE OF DECISION
INTENSITY OF
DISCUSSION
HOW CAN YOU (RE)ORGANIZE YOUR TOOLBOX?

41. INSIGHTS
● GET CLEAR ON FAIR MEMBER
PARTICIPATION
● FOCUS ON DISCUSSION AND
DECISION-MAKING
● CHOOSE TOOLS THAT MAKE
IT EASY TO INFORM AND
INVOLVE PEOPLE WHO CARE
● WHAT ELSE..?

42. DANNY@PEAKAGENCY.CO