Purpose and Background
The purpose of this group agreement is to negotiate best practices in how we work together as a team. We want to create an equitable marketplace of ideas and the best possible products. In this agreement, we set expectations of what behaviors facilitate – and what behaviors hinder – accessibility, collaboration, and productivity.
Background: The underlying purpose of a group agreement is to achieve a safe space for everyone to feel able to contribute, have each voice heard (creating an opening for less assertive, quieter voices), and have each person’s ideas respected. The construction of the agreement is a negotiating space for those who find the dominant culture difficult to participate in, for whatever reason, rather than just reinforcing mainstream norms.
A group agreement highlights behaviors that will work toward these ideals, recognizing that not all cultures share the same behavioral norms. If one voice speaking at a time is sensitive group behavior in one culture, “no interrupting” might be appropriate for an agreement. It can involve specific behaviors like “put phones on silent mode” or intentions like “be open to other ideas.”
Our group agreement has been pre-negotiated by a committee due to the size of our organization, but we welcome your comments and feedback using the text box just before your signature, below.
Artisans Cooperative Group Agreement
Together we make the following commitments to ourselves and each other:
- I will enable access, prevent domination, and allow even the quietest voice and diverse communication style to be heard. I will share speaking time so that everyone has a chance to contribute to the conversation. When someone else is talking, I will wait a beat to make sure they are done talking before stepping in. If the conversation is lively, I will initiate using “stack” (a method by which people join a queue to speak in order by typing “stack” in the chat feature of audio-visual meetings) or a similar method to ensure everyone has a chance to speak. I will actively ask for opinions from others, especially those who haven’t spoken. We are organized as a sociocracy, and the sociocratic meeting method is a good way to enable everyone’s voice to be heard.
- I will express my needs to the group as they arise. (One method to ensure this is to have a round-robin “check-in” at the beginning of a meeting to give each participant a platform to express personal aspects of their presence at the meeting.)
- I will be open to sharing my thoughts and giving feedback with a vision of achieving our shared goals. I will make a special effort to give feedback that focuses on the work and not the person, and that is specific, actionable, and focused on helping my colleagues improve. I will be respectful when challenging others’ ideas, without personal attacks. (Both positive and critical feedback can incorporate affirmations and reinforcement, such as “I like xyz but have you also considered…” “Yes AND…”)
- I will be open to receiving feedback and will take it as an opportunity for growth and development. I am open to my ideas being challenged respectfully. I understand that the goal of feedback is to hone and improve our ideas and work processes, to be the best possible team and achieve the best possible product.
- I will embrace the sociocratic idea of managing the work and not the person. I will trust my colleagues to do their own scopes of work while I do mine, and will trust the process of group accountability.
- I will be curious and open to diverse possibilities. I will actively listen with an intent to fully understand, before thinking about how to respond. I will reflect on what others said and seek clarification if necessary.
- I will assume positive intent, giving others the benefit of the doubt. We all make mistakes and we will approach conflict with our colleagues with curiosity and a willingness to learn situational details to understand the why behind the problem. We do not place blame, we investigate and problem solve.
- I will respect confidentiality, keeping private (not sharing with others) things that were intended to remain private (such as personal stories), keeping spaces safe to share our ideas.
- I will use inclusive language and try to avoid language that excludes or offends.
- I will use plain language and try to avoid field-specific specialty terms, jargon, or acronyms.
- I will acknowledge when I am building on someone else’s ideas.
- I will recognize the effects of privilege, unconscious bias, and discrimination related to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, neurodiversity, and other differences. I will honor the different experiences that we all bring to the space, being mindful of my own biases and working to overcome them by seeking feedback and perspectives that differ from my own.
- I will endeavor to act to benefit my fellow members in Artisans Cooperative, and always in the best interest of the Coop itself. I will keep the 7 principles of cooperativism and the values of the Coop–inclusion, member-owned, free and fair marketplace, and authentically handmade–as the focus of my work. Sometimes pragmatic business decisions must be made, but they should be made through the lens of the Coop’s values.
- I will be self-accountable to the group, with regard to quality of work, meeting deadlines, and contributing ideas. If falling behind, I will communicate why and reschedule if I might miss a deadline. I will aim to be present in real-time work, respecting everyone else’s time.
- For the good of our co-op and our members, when I notice a problem in an existing project for a team I am on, I will take ownership to fix the problem myself or the initiative to work with someone else to fix it if I don’t know how. If I noticed food were on the floor, I wouldn’t walk by and wait for someone else to clean it up. (For new projects I will consult with Team Leaders or submit a Member Proposal before beginning work.)
- I will share knowledge, document processes, save my work products to the shared drive with shared permissions, and endeavor to make my work visible and transferrable to the next person someday.
- I will be proactive in addressing conflicts or problems that arise. If I am uncomfortable doing this myself directly, or if the problem feels bigger than one I can address on my own, I will seek out the help of others, including a Team Leader. I understand that conflicts are a natural part of any collaborative process and addressing conflicts in a proactive and constructive manner is essential for maintaining a strong and effective team. I will approach conflicts with an open mind, seeking to understand the perspectives and concerns of all parties involved. I will strive to communicate clearly and respectfully, avoiding personal attacks and focusing on finding a mutually acceptable solution.