The posts in this section deal with various aspects of working with democratic groups. Communication, conflict, leadership, and other topics are covered.
Democracy is not for the faint of heart. It is messy and emotional and taxing. It takes a lot of time to create and maintain and everyone must come prepared with awareness and a good heart. But it’s better than having some power-hungry jerk tell you what to do. So here is a crash course in how democracies work (or don’t).
Building creative teams is no real mystery. All it takes is a supportive environment, a small group, and lots of communication.
Farah Karimi tells us: “As a leader you have to be the first who stands there and articulates the direction you have to go in. You need followers, without followers you are not a leader. You have to convince them in such a way that they themselves believe in the change that you need to take. It’s not possible to get 100% agreement. It’s not going to be the same for everybody, but you need critical mass.”
Farah Karimi on Leadership, Change, and Compromise Read More »
The secret to effective teamwork is learning how to deal with conflict. Conflict can be unpleasant and uncomfortable, but it’s a necessary part of collaboration.
The word “democracy” comes from the ancient Greek δῆμος κράτος — dêmos kratos — literally “people power.” It means not monarchy with a king who is in charge because he owns the place. Not aristocracy with a special leader-class of people who are born to it. Not theocracy by priests who derive their power from the favor of the gods.Not any special governing class, but rather a government reflecting all of the people.
What Frank Sharry of America’s Voice has to say about creating powerful messages will change the way you communicate.
They are pervasive and loud, many with half-shaven heads, rowdy barking mixed-breed dogs, and mud-encrusted dreadlocks. Yet their network may as well be invisible to the authorities who have spent the better part of thirty years failing to stamp it out. How does this raggle-taggle band of Britain’s prevalent environmental activists (also known as eco-warriors or protesters) evade countless attempts of infiltration and eradication?
What do most organizations working for social change say they want? More joint actions. “There is no one who says they don’t want collaboration….”
Self-ruled, democratic, and autonomous are somewhat interchangeable words. Autonomous organizations are not all the same, but they do share some characteristics. This handy guide provides some tips for identifying the characteristics of autonomous and democratic organizations.
What can migrating birds teach us about leadership? More than you might think. Here are three things we can learn from flocks of birds.
