soci:sociocracy

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soci:sociocracy [2026/02/23 13:42] – [Potential downsides] Simon Grantsoci:sociocracy [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Sociocracy+This topic is part of [[gt:community|Community & culture]] and [[gt:learning|Learning & personal development]]. 
 +====== Sociocracy ======
  
  
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-## What is sociocracy?+===== What is sociocracy? =====
  
 It’s a governance system. Governance is what connects people working together on a project. Without a governance system, not much would happen – there needs to be decision-making structures and procedures to make it all happen. There are two parts to governance: It’s a governance system. Governance is what connects people working together on a project. Without a governance system, not much would happen – there needs to be decision-making structures and procedures to make it all happen. There are two parts to governance:
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 The basic idea is to create small groups (or ‘circles’), that are able to have deep and meaningful conversations. In a medium-sized organisation there might be 20 circles, that have clear areas of decision-making. Ideally, those circles will contain 4-7 people – small enough that people can really listen to each other. The people making the decisions in a circle will be the people who do the work covered by those decisions. which is different from a hierarchical organisation, where some people do things and some people decide things. The basic idea is to create small groups (or ‘circles’), that are able to have deep and meaningful conversations. In a medium-sized organisation there might be 20 circles, that have clear areas of decision-making. Ideally, those circles will contain 4-7 people – small enough that people can really listen to each other. The people making the decisions in a circle will be the people who do the work covered by those decisions. which is different from a hierarchical organisation, where some people do things and some people decide things.
  
-### How it works+==== How it works ====
  
 **Rounds:** everyone in the circle takes a turn to give their opinion about something – so that everyone is heard, without interruption. People can pass, unless it’s a consent round, and there can be ‘check-in’ and ‘check-out’ rounds at the beginning and the end of the meeting. **Rounds:** everyone in the circle takes a turn to give their opinion about something – so that everyone is heard, without interruption. People can pass, unless it’s a consent round, and there can be ‘check-in’ and ‘check-out’ rounds at the beginning and the end of the meeting.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### History+==== History ====
  
 Gerard Endenburg developed the ‘Sociocratic Circle Organizing Method’ in the Netherlands in the late 60s / early 70s, but the concept is much older. The term sociocracy was coined in 1851 by [Auguste Comte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Comte), and in 1881, US sociologist [Lester Frank Ward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Frank_Ward) argued that liberal democracy should evolve into sociocracy for national governments, not just businesses and organisations. Gerard Endenburg developed the ‘Sociocratic Circle Organizing Method’ in the Netherlands in the late 60s / early 70s, but the concept is much older. The term sociocracy was coined in 1851 by [Auguste Comte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Comte), and in 1881, US sociologist [Lester Frank Ward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Frank_Ward) argued that liberal democracy should evolve into sociocracy for national governments, not just businesses and organisations.
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-## What are the benefits of sociocracy?+===== What are the benefits of sociocracy? =====
  
 Sociocracy is very different from top-down, hierarchical decision-making, where people can have strong ideas about how to improve something, but feel unable to voice those ideas in ways that will be heard. Sociocracy is very different from top-down, hierarchical decision-making, where people can have strong ideas about how to improve something, but feel unable to voice those ideas in ways that will be heard.
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 Sociocracy gives a flavour of what a truly decentralised society could be like, where people can govern themselves locally instead of having government imposed from above. Sociocracy gives a flavour of what a truly decentralised society could be like, where people can govern themselves locally instead of having government imposed from above.
-### Potential downsides+==== Potential downsides ====
  
 Some people don’t actually want to take responsibility for decision-making – even with decisions that affect them directly. They’d rather be told what to do. Some people don’t actually want to take responsibility for decision-making – even with decisions that affect them directly. They’d rather be told what to do.
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 Learn more about it first – there are [books](/soci/sociocracy), and [online training](/soci/sociocracy), and if required, a little ongoing coaching / hand-holding. Learn more about it first – there are [books](/soci/sociocracy), and [online training](/soci/sociocracy), and if required, a little ongoing coaching / hand-holding.
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 </figure> </figure>
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
 +==== Holacracy ====
  
-### Holacracy+The best know of these is [Holacracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holacracy), which is used a lot in for-profit organisations. A much-simplified explanation of the difference is that Holacracy places more emphasis on roles than circles. So in sociocracy, decisions are more collective, whereas in Holacracy, authority can ‘cluster’ in roles occupied by individuals (although this can happen sometimes in sociocracy too). So it could be said to be more individualistic, with certain individuals having more authority; it’s also been described as being stricter in the decision-making, in that there’s a fixed pattern for explaining objections, whereas in sociocracy you can explain your objections any way you like.
  
-The best know of these is [holacracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holacracy), which is used a lot in for-profit organisations. A much-simplified explanation of the difference is that holacracy places more emphasis on roles than circles. So in sociocracy, decisions are more collective, whereas in holacracy, authority can ‘cluster’ in roles occupied by individuals (although this can happen sometimes in sociocracy too). So it could be said to be more individualistic, with certain individuals having more authority; it’s also been described as being stricter in the decision-making, in that there’s a fixed pattern for explaining objections, whereas in sociocracy you can explain your objections any way you like. 
  
  
 +===== Forum =====
  
-## Further resources+This topic belongs to the section [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/community). 
 + 
 +It is also in the section [[gt:learning|Learning & personal development]] (Forum: [Learning & personal development](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/learning)). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [SociocracyForAll](https://www.sociocracyforall.org/) - sociocracy resource: information, training, consultancy - [SociocracyForAll](https://www.sociocracyforall.org/) - sociocracy resource: information, training, consultancy
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-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Related topics ===== 
 + 
 +- [[intc:Intentional communities]] 
 +- [[demo:democracy|The democracy problem]] 
 +- [[hcoo:Housing co-operatives]] 
 +- [[coop:Co-operatives]] 
 +- [[comg:Commoning]] 
 +- [[comy:Community]] 
 +- [[coho:Cohousing]] 
 +- [[pers:Personal development]] 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
  • soci/sociocracy.1771854141.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2026/02/23 13:42
  • by Simon Grant