We regret Cambridge Cohousing has ceased to operate and the Society will be dissolved. This website and resources will remain public until June 2023 to share information.
How we worked together
How we came to agreement and communicated as a group was very important, particularly as a diverse group of people working to build an intentional community and with a development project focus.
We had strategies in place to facilitate discussion and come to understanding – our Communications Agreement and a method used to find group consensus.
How we engaged with one another
We had a Communications Agreement in place that sets out our expectations of how we as individuals will interact with one another:
- I will use "I" statements, and speak for myself, not others.
- I will speak succinctly and to the point.
- I will take responsibility for owning and naming my own feelings.
- I will respect others’ rights to speak without interruption.
- I undertake to respect other’s privacy by not discussing outside the group other people’s personal issues which may arise within the group process.
- I undertake to value and respect different contributions and perspectives of all individuals.
- I undertake to keep relationships within the group clear by dealing with any problematic issues directly with the persons concerned.
- I recognise that we work best together when we remember to have fun!
How did we come to a decision as a group?
We used a system of coloured cards to facilitate group discussion and come to consensus. The cards indicate, for example, whether a person has a question, comment or an answer. These each have different priorities within a discussion. The process ensures everyone is heard, everyone contributes, and there is a focus to the discussion.
The coloured cards system is used successfully in many other cohousing communities.