Note IV. Reaching Decision
When Co-Counselors have had difficulty agreeing on policy or leadership the following is a method that has often worked [183]:
- First, someone clearly states the actual situation and explains our goals.
- If this does not resolve the difference, each Co-Counselor has a counseling session about the issue, with someone other than the Co-Counselor they are in disagreement with.
- If this does not resolve the issue, the Co-Counselors have a session, in a group, in which they exchange viewpoints. As they take turns listening, each person argues for the other person’s viewpoint.
- If this does not resolve the difference, the Co-Counseling group arranges a debate between the conflicting points of view in which only the issues, not the people, are discussed.
- If the conflict persists, the group holds a discussion to determine which of the conflicting points of view makes the fewest assumptions that cannot be checked. If the Co-Counselors agree on it, that point of view is put into practice.
- If they don’t agree on it, the Co-Counselors try to decide which set of assumptions will lead to the most interesting work or actions. After this discussion, the group makes a decision about how to move forward, rather than allowing indecision to continue, and the decision is put into effect. The group watches the results carefully, modifying the decision as new facts come in.
- If the group cannot make the decision, the relevant Reference Person decides how the group will move forward.
[183] It can be a useful tool when two or more people want to be chosen as a Reference Person.
Last modified: 2024-02-21 21:50:35+00