[Serial no.7 ] Organizational management of the next society - How is your decision-making?
Creating the Next Society - Part 7
Toward a society where people can live gently and without conflict
Masashi Ono, ScienZ Institute, Inc.
Chapter 3
1. Organizational management of the next society - How is your decision-making?
A lot of people have come to visit the As One Suzuka community from around Japan and abroad. Many of them are surprised to learn about the corporate management without orders, hierarchy, rules, and responsibilities, as well as a challenge of economy without the need for money. And there is one question that always comes up.
"How is your decision-making?"
"Is there really no leader?"
These are not only our core themes of community building, but also interesting topics for those seeking new organizational management, such as teal or holacracy ones. Also, in various activities, families, couples, and other relationships,it may be a major theme "how do we decide what to do?".
There is a UNESCO certified educational program called Ecovillage Design Education for people who are interested in community building. It is held in 45 locations around the world. In Japan, GEN-Japan (Global Ecovillage Network Japan) has been organizing and hosting the program since 2017, and the As One Suzuka community has kept cooperating with the program as its main venue. In its text, the first thing to do in community building is "to decide the way of decision-making".
How is it in the As One Suzuka community?
In a nutshell, our management method is "to bring whatever members have in mind, consider study them carefully, and try them out freely".
When I explain like this way, many people misunderstand and say, "So you get together and decide together!" But this is not the case at all. We have never had a meeting with all members for twenty years.
People, who spontaneously want to come together and do things, start holding conversations here and there freely.
And sometimes, opinions may be formed like "Let's do this!". But even if such agreement is reached at that point, the decisions to do or not to do it are left to the independent will of each person.
In other words, the "decision-making" is done by each individual. If you do not agree with it, you do not have to do it. And even if once a decision is made, circumstances, feelings, and opinions can be changing. And so you can choose not to do, reconsider, or discuss it again.
Everything in nature is constantly changing, and there is no center or leader anywhere. I think it makes sense for the operation of human societies to change constantly as the natural world is.
I also think that human society can exist in harmony, without a center or a leader.
"Wow, that's how you build a community?"
"Your company makes 1000 boxed luches every day, doesn't it? How can you operate with that?"
I am sure some of you may be asking yourself those questions.
We have been educated in democratic societies, and subconsciously we have developed a pattern of thinking that we must gather together, make a decision together, and follow what is decided ; "these are the rules of democracy."
However, those are some of the ideas created by humans, fictions. In addition, they have become fixed ideas among people. As the result, when we meet those who do not follow the rules, we may come to see such persons as "selfish" or "self-indulgent". Such fictions become the norm and lead people to obey what are decided, even if they don't agree; willing obedience"
"Willing obedience" means that "a person is convinced of his or her own autonomy, however objectively, the one obeys others and the social systems unconciously". It is a state in which the person "teaches himself or herself" that "I must do this here" or "I must not do this here" without being told by anyone.
Because of repeated taught "what they must do" and "what they must not do" through punishment and rewards since childhood, an attitude has been developed; "actively try to do what is praised rather than what is scolded"
As the result, people are in a fixed state of thinking as if there are certain things they "must" or "must not" do. If you are alone in this condition, you may have a chance to reconsider. But if most people in society are in the similar state, it will be easy to say,"I knew it." or "Everyone is like that". It also often happens that people exclude, blame, or deny others out of the norm as "weird" or "strange". But also when they see others being blamed or denied, they will try to avoid being blamed or denied themselves. In this way, they will fall into a cycle of making their own obedience stronger.
If we take "must do" for granted,a truly free society will not come.
We have interacted with various communities and organizations, but few of them are reviewing their operations from a zero-point perspective. That is why people bind each other and create hierarchies.
In today's society, we often feel fear of "having to follow the decision". And so when a decision is made in a place that you are not involved in, the fear makes you uneasy, doesn't it? Some people get angry, "Where was it decided!" I think such people are actually in a very anxious state of mind.
In the As One Suzuka community, it is all rich and joyful to have someone somewhere to think about. Many things are decided by ideas that I don't have. We are tempted to try it, first of all, riding on the results of someone else's idea like that, because it sounds like fun.
That kind of cheerful and lighthearted relationship is a big part of it.
And, even if it is something we don't want to do or be involved in, then, of course, we don't have to do it. Also, once something is decided, if there is a different opinion in mind, we can always say as much as we want, and we can always review or change it.
However, I don't think it is possible to just try to do the way the Suzuka community operates in a form. It is necessary to free ourselves from those fixed ideas such as "It must be done what has been decided", "We must take responsibility for what we say,", and "We must decide together,"; they are considered natural in today's societies. If we can not get free from them, we will not be able to act freely, nor will we be able to accept people who do act freely.
Also, you need to know how to "really talk things over" and the basics essential to discussion, such as "listening to people". I don't think As One's management method will work smoothly without them.
For example, when several people come by and something is decided in the place where you are not invited, you may feel like a victim, feeling "left out","ignored". Or you may complain or get angry;"Why didn't you call me!" or "Where did you get this decision?". In such cercumstances it is certainly that a frlexible management is not possible.
Also, if people are concerned that "I really want to have a discussion with these people, but if I don't invite that person, he/she will be in a bad mood, so I should invite him/her" or "I feel sorry for him/her, so I should invite him/her", we will never have a truly free society.
The first thing we need to do is to free ourselves from the fixed ideas such as "we should all talk it over", "it's wrong to refuse", and some others!
If you want to manage an organization of "the next society," the first step to realize is to become a person who is free and independent, free from the restraints that bind you and others. If our thoughts are still old-fashioned, we cannot run the next new societies.
The next societies will be able to be managed in harmony by people doing things on their own free will. We call such a management system an "Independent-will Harmonious Society," or a "Dynamic Harmonious Society".
Even if we can explain it in words,we think that it is difficult to understand such operation. Seeing is believing. Please take the time to actually see and feel it for yourself.
Toward a society where people can live gently and without conflict
Masashi Ono, ScienZ Institute, Inc.
Chapter 3
1. Organizational management of the next society - How is your decision-making?
A lot of people have come to visit the As One Suzuka community from around Japan and abroad. Many of them are surprised to learn about the corporate management without orders, hierarchy, rules, and responsibilities, as well as a challenge of economy without the need for money. And there is one question that always comes up.
"How is your decision-making?"
"Is there really no leader?"
These are not only our core themes of community building, but also interesting topics for those seeking new organizational management, such as teal or holacracy ones. Also, in various activities, families, couples, and other relationships,it may be a major theme "how do we decide what to do?".
There is a UNESCO certified educational program called Ecovillage Design Education for people who are interested in community building. It is held in 45 locations around the world. In Japan, GEN-Japan (Global Ecovillage Network Japan) has been organizing and hosting the program since 2017, and the As One Suzuka community has kept cooperating with the program as its main venue. In its text, the first thing to do in community building is "to decide the way of decision-making".
How is it in the As One Suzuka community?
In a nutshell, our management method is "to bring whatever members have in mind, consider study them carefully, and try them out freely".
When I explain like this way, many people misunderstand and say, "So you get together and decide together!" But this is not the case at all. We have never had a meeting with all members for twenty years.
People, who spontaneously want to come together and do things, start holding conversations here and there freely.
And sometimes, opinions may be formed like "Let's do this!". But even if such agreement is reached at that point, the decisions to do or not to do it are left to the independent will of each person.
In other words, the "decision-making" is done by each individual. If you do not agree with it, you do not have to do it. And even if once a decision is made, circumstances, feelings, and opinions can be changing. And so you can choose not to do, reconsider, or discuss it again.
Everything in nature is constantly changing, and there is no center or leader anywhere. I think it makes sense for the operation of human societies to change constantly as the natural world is.
I also think that human society can exist in harmony, without a center or a leader.
"Wow, that's how you build a community?"
"Your company makes 1000 boxed luches every day, doesn't it? How can you operate with that?"
I am sure some of you may be asking yourself those questions.
We have been educated in democratic societies, and subconsciously we have developed a pattern of thinking that we must gather together, make a decision together, and follow what is decided ; "these are the rules of democracy."
However, those are some of the ideas created by humans, fictions. In addition, they have become fixed ideas among people. As the result, when we meet those who do not follow the rules, we may come to see such persons as "selfish" or "self-indulgent". Such fictions become the norm and lead people to obey what are decided, even if they don't agree; willing obedience"
"Willing obedience" means that "a person is convinced of his or her own autonomy, however objectively, the one obeys others and the social systems unconciously". It is a state in which the person "teaches himself or herself" that "I must do this here" or "I must not do this here" without being told by anyone.
Because of repeated taught "what they must do" and "what they must not do" through punishment and rewards since childhood, an attitude has been developed; "actively try to do what is praised rather than what is scolded"
As the result, people are in a fixed state of thinking as if there are certain things they "must" or "must not" do. If you are alone in this condition, you may have a chance to reconsider. But if most people in society are in the similar state, it will be easy to say,"I knew it." or "Everyone is like that". It also often happens that people exclude, blame, or deny others out of the norm as "weird" or "strange". But also when they see others being blamed or denied, they will try to avoid being blamed or denied themselves. In this way, they will fall into a cycle of making their own obedience stronger.
If we take "must do" for granted,a truly free society will not come.
We have interacted with various communities and organizations, but few of them are reviewing their operations from a zero-point perspective. That is why people bind each other and create hierarchies.
In today's society, we often feel fear of "having to follow the decision". And so when a decision is made in a place that you are not involved in, the fear makes you uneasy, doesn't it? Some people get angry, "Where was it decided!" I think such people are actually in a very anxious state of mind.
In the As One Suzuka community, it is all rich and joyful to have someone somewhere to think about. Many things are decided by ideas that I don't have. We are tempted to try it, first of all, riding on the results of someone else's idea like that, because it sounds like fun.
That kind of cheerful and lighthearted relationship is a big part of it.
And, even if it is something we don't want to do or be involved in, then, of course, we don't have to do it. Also, once something is decided, if there is a different opinion in mind, we can always say as much as we want, and we can always review or change it.
However, I don't think it is possible to just try to do the way the Suzuka community operates in a form. It is necessary to free ourselves from those fixed ideas such as "It must be done what has been decided", "We must take responsibility for what we say,", and "We must decide together,"; they are considered natural in today's societies. If we can not get free from them, we will not be able to act freely, nor will we be able to accept people who do act freely.
Also, you need to know how to "really talk things over" and the basics essential to discussion, such as "listening to people". I don't think As One's management method will work smoothly without them.
For example, when several people come by and something is decided in the place where you are not invited, you may feel like a victim, feeling "left out","ignored". Or you may complain or get angry;"Why didn't you call me!" or "Where did you get this decision?". In such cercumstances it is certainly that a frlexible management is not possible.
Also, if people are concerned that "I really want to have a discussion with these people, but if I don't invite that person, he/she will be in a bad mood, so I should invite him/her" or "I feel sorry for him/her, so I should invite him/her", we will never have a truly free society.
The first thing we need to do is to free ourselves from the fixed ideas such as "we should all talk it over", "it's wrong to refuse", and some others!
If you want to manage an organization of "the next society," the first step to realize is to become a person who is free and independent, free from the restraints that bind you and others. If our thoughts are still old-fashioned, we cannot run the next new societies.
The next societies will be able to be managed in harmony by people doing things on their own free will. We call such a management system an "Independent-will Harmonious Society," or a "Dynamic Harmonious Society".
Even if we can explain it in words,we think that it is difficult to understand such operation. Seeing is believing. Please take the time to actually see and feel it for yourself.
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