Guiding Principles & Shared Agreements
What is Guiding Principles & Shared Agreements about ?
Guiding principles are a defined set of statements or intentions that represent the ethos and culture within a group, community, organisation etc. They are precisely worded and ideally concise, while epitomising the values that the group’s mission and vision are based upon. They provide clarity for new members joining, as well as for existing members when navigating challenges or making major decisions that affect the direction the group will go in. Depending on the group, these can be reviewed and adapted over time if appropriate, or they can be non-negotiable fixed points to anchor the group in what they’ve set out to achieve.
It is a foundational step for any community or organisation to undertake. However, if the principles of a group have not been described or are unclear, then it is likely an extremely beneficial process to engage in as soon as possible. Depending on the group, developing guiding principles and shared agreements can be a brief process to direct the work they envision together, or it can be a long, in-depth process, taking as long as it needs to ensure the most accurate, appropriate wording is developed with care. For example, a movement setting its aims on societal system change may include commitments such as nonviolent tactics, non-hierarchical decision making, no blaming and shaming of individuals etc. It can be important to clarify the nature of these principles - whether they can be adapted or not. Groups evolve over time, members come and go, and the societal context shifts. New members often have fresh perspectives, and less contextual understanding of existing ways of operating. Older members have earned social power, and experience that may be useful or stalling. Principles and agreements can keep a group rooted in their values while avoiding mission-creep, loss of direction, and vague boundaries.
Audience
Is participant experience relevant for Guiding Principles & Shared Agreements ?
Audience description for Guiding Principles & Shared Agreements
Drafting guiding principles and shared agreements are a core component of any community, organisation, social movement, company, group seeking to work toward common goals or a cooperative purpose. It can be useful for individuals too to identify their own principles and desires for the kind of work they wish to do, people they wish to collaborate with, and the culture for doing so, the outcomes they’re hoping for, and clear boundaries on what they’re willing or unwilling to do.
Other prerequisites for participants
A clear reason to be forming a group if this is an formative exercise.
Requirements
Run Through
You will want to have prepared a blank wall to work on, that every participant can see - either with space for flipchart paper, sticky notes and other sheets to be stuck on, or for the whiteboard to be visible. Arrange the chairs in such a way that participants can see each other and see the wall space - a horseshoe shape works well.
When a group comes together to develop these it can be a very bonding experience. This aspect can be intentionally amplified by hosting the session in a convivial way - for example, having a bring-and-share meal together while delving into the process. If you choose to do this or something similar, try to make the space as cozy and welcoming as possible.
Online
Yes, the steps described above can be carried out online or blended using video conferencing platforms and collaborative tools. However it is very unifying to meet in person, especially when the group will be carrying out passionate work together. So it is worth blending the sessions/ steps to include some face-to-face elements.
Material for
project
ERASMUS +
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union. Find more information about the program and its goals here: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Creative Commons license:
CC-BY-SA You are free to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, even for commercial purposes with mention of the source: Transformation Hosts International, www. hostingtransformation.eu. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.