Non-Hierarchical Decision Making with Sociocracy

We’re Outlandish, a tech worker-cooperative meaning the people who work for the business co-own the business. We are passionate about democracy and wellbeing in the workplace and always looking to share our values with anyone interested. 

At Outlandish, we've used sociocracy to embed cooperative values in our organisation for more than eight years. For us, this approach to reducing hierarchy and gaining buy-in has been invaluable to our success and we want to share our experience and knowledge with you.

Sociocracy is a theory of governance that draws on the use of consent, rather than consensus and majority voting. It’s a non-hierarchical approach where people collaborate on decisions based on shared goals and work processes.

Using consent to make decisions helps any kind of organisation achieve buy-in from team members at every level, so people really understand why they are working towards a goal.

Key benefits of sociocracy include:

• Promoting forward motion and experimentation – finding common ground through agreeing to proposals that are ‘good enough for now’
• Balancing groups and individuals – preventing a majority having power over a minority
• Including diverse voices – ensuring no-one can be ignored through proposals that are ‘safe enough to try’

Need more convincing? You can read about the benefits of consent and sociocracy for your organisation and how, when used effectively, it has the power to make radical change safely AND quickly.

Our goal is to give you a chance to learn, practice, and reflect on non-hierarchical consent-based decision making, as used in Sociocracy. We won’t introduce the whole of Sociocracy - but you’ll definitely get a flavour. 

By the end of the session, you’ll be inspired to use sociocracy in your work to not only make decisions but also create an environment where more voices are heard and integrated.
In our hands-on workshop (70% participation), you will:

• Gain a deep understanding of how to use the consent process.
• Learn to distinguish between personal preferences and critical concerns.
• Explore your own needs and those of others in a collaborative and non-hierarchical way.
• Connect with others who are exploring new organisational approaches.
• Identify your next steps for personal and organisational development.

Whether you’re a leader, a team member, a consultant, or researcher, if you’re interested in fostering a more democratic and inclusive workplace, this is for you.

It’s especially relevant if:

• You are interested in non-hierarchical structures and tools to democratise your workplace.
• You’re seeking ways to introduce more equitable and non-hierarchical decision-making to amplify everyone’s voice.
• You feel that power imbalances are stifling creativity and productivity in your team.

This session is well-suited for:

• Managers who want to improve decision-making and ensure all voices are heard.
• Team leaders looking to make decisions faster while engaging more stakeholders.
• Agile teams looking to adopt more inclusive, non-hierarchical methods for enhancing team culture.
• Consultants or Researchers working on organisational development, design, or cultural change.

Join us to explore how non-hierarchical approaches like sociocracy can transform your organisation.

Natasha Natarajan and Polly Robbins are members of Outlandish. They are primarily focussed on SPACE4, Outlandish’s work, training, and networking space in North London. They organise and facilitate regular discussions and workshops at SPACE4 on the topics of cooperatives, progressive economics, tech-for-good, and alternative social movements. Natasha and Polly are experienced users of sociocracy, using it day-to-day in all areas of Outlandish work. They bring their real life experience of using it in a business setting to these sessions.

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