Community building provides new perspectives and insights into the question of governance. The aim of governance and leadership becomes to ensure that everyone is able to use their energy and capacities for the advancement of the organisation and that unity is strengthened between people. Decisions are made collectively and “as low” as possible. Spaces are created to facilitate the flow of information, resources, and guidance. Gradually a culture emerges where people experience a sense of ownership and responsibility for the whole and where people feel empowered to contribute
A lack of proper governance can lead to unclarity and confusion among people. This could lead to gossip within the organisation and a growing criticism and resentment towards management and people in authority. In addition, people can become frustrated and passive, while cynicism is growing. As a result, people are not able to take ownership in order to effectively address their problems on their own.
Essential in the development of governance is the ability of people to come together and engage in a process of collective decision making. This approach of decision making is not based on debate, taking sides, or convincing each other. It is based on the capacity of reading reality together and the ability to build on each other's ideas to form a whole new and more profound insight, which is subsequently supported and implemented by all. In an uncertain world, this capacity for decision making allows a community to become more resilient, agile and innovative. It invites the participation and ownership of all involved.
To strengthen community culture and governance, one or more people participate in the first training course(s) Soul-driven Leadership - Trust and Hope. In doing so, they start to form a small core group that is learning together about the culture of the organization. With the assistance of soul.com facilitators, they can initiate the Finding the Soul programme, to discover the values, purpose and volition of the department or organization at large. As a result, the soul of the organisation is explicitly formulated that becomes the guiding reference point and strengthens unity of purpose of the community.
The core group can participate in the governance courses to develop their capacity to engage a growing number of people in a collective decision making process. People are gradually developing their capacity to formulate learning questions, identify needs, create mandates, and reflect upon their progress. A culture emerges where people take initiative and responsibility instead of “doing what they have been told”.
Through the accompaniment of soul.com facilitators, the core team is able to put into practice the required governance capacities. Gradually, spaces for reflection and decision making become institutionalised and embedded in the culture of the organisation.
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