Most of us are used to hierarchical systems that rely on power over, reward and punishment. When we try and form groups that share power, there can be confusion, burnout and conflicts arising alongside the excitement and aliveness of having no fixed structure. Without any structure we tend to fall back to the dominant paradigm, so there is a living process of finding out what structure supports our flow.

I work with groups to explore how they are working together and find group agreements that help their work together be more effective, enjoyable and connecting.

The work of Dominic Barter, Miki Kashtan and Frederick LaLoux amongst others informs this work, sometimes called ‘living systems’ or ‘dialogical systems’. In practical terms, it is about having effective dialogues that get us to group agreements that support us to work together and make conscious decisions that work for all. These often fall into the following categories…

• Decision making: Who will make which decisions and how?
• Information flow: How will we ensure information is accessible and transparent to everyone who might need it?
• Resource flow: How will we generate and distribute resources?
• Feedback system: How will we know what is and isn’t working for people?
• Support system: How will people get support in a way that is within our capacity?
• Conflict system: How will we respond when there is conflict?

Find out more about organising foundations and structures >