search

plocket / cfb-hacking-project-management

CfB members discussing how to better help project managers reduce chaos.
0 stars 0 forks source link

DECISION: We use fist-to-5 consensus-based decision making. #1

Open plocket opened 4 years ago

plocket commented 4 years ago

This is both a proposal and an example of a proposal. NOTE: Each main heading is intended to be included as a section in every proposal.

Why

To make sure the people who will be doing the work agree on what is being done, why, and how.

How

You don't have to be a leader of the action or change you propose. You don't even have to agree with it. Anyone can make and/or write a proposal.

Informal Proposals

Fist-to-five voting can be used to check for for smaller decisions or temperature checks on the spot or in Slack, too. The outcomes of votes on smaller decisions that do not need a written proposal should still be documented, as these likely reflect a decision that will help inform the group or a sub-group going forward.

You might find that a small proposal is not as small as you think and may need to be followed up by a written proposal.

Real-time

You can call for a fist-to-five anytime, on an existing discussion or by making a verbal proposal.

Online

You can use the Slack template to make an online proposal that can be voted on with custom emoji that you can add to the workspace. Images will be added to this repo and emoji names are suggested in the table below.

Written Proposals

Written proposals can be used for issues that affect the whole group, need detailed discussion, have a big impact, etc.

Proposals should be put forward for decisions that will affect the whole group. These could be decisions related to project direction, structure, processes, technologies, etc. The following steps were modified from the “Efficient Consensus Decision Making” section of Emergent Strategy (pp 232-233) by Adrienne Maree Brown:

  1. Explore: Identify the area where a decision is needed and have an exploratory conversation to find out where the group’s preferences and concerns are.
  2. Write a proposal: Based on that conversation and any additional research, one person or sub-group can write a proposal that represents the discussion. In this case, it should be created as an issue in this github repo. Structure a proposal document formatted the same way this is with at the very least all the main headings in here. It should say what you want to do, why it serves the mission/vision of the group, and who/what/when/where/how it will happen.
  3. Label 1: Label the issue with the 'proposal' label and any other informative categories needed. Do not ever remove this label.
  4. Document: Document any in-person, audio, video, or text-based discussions of concerns, amendments, and results of voting in the ‘History’ section of the proposal document.
  5. Share: Post and pin a written summary for people to review (and possibly vote on) in Slack, using the post template shared below. Specify the “respond by” date, providing a minimum of 1 meeting interval to allow for at least one in-person discussion during a real-time meeting. People may vote with emoji. Document this.
  6. Discuss: Review the proposal together via a thread in Slack and in-person discussion. Get responses to any clarifying questions. Document this.
  7. Vote: Check for agreement by fist-to-five voting (described below). Document this.
  8. Clean up: If a proposal gets has been accepted, change the written proposal's title from PROPOSAL to DECISION, changing the title if needed to reflect the decision, and unpin the Slack post from the Slack channel.
  9. Label 2: Label the issue with the decision label.

Fist-to-Five Voting

We can use the following guide both in-person and on Slack:

Figure 1

Icon Emoji Name Description
5 consensus_5 Strong consensus. I support the proposal and am willing to be one of the leaders.
4 consensus_4 Consensus. I support the proposal and will help implement it.
3 consensus_3 Cautious consensus. I’m not in total agreement but am willing to go forward without further discussion.
2 consensus_2 No consensus. I still would like to discuss some minor issues.
1 consensus_1 No consensus. I still need to discuss certain issues and suggest changes to be made.
0 consensus_0 No consensus. I have a fundamental disagreement with the core of the proposal.
Abstain consensus_abstain Stand aside. I will not help implement this proposal but don’t want to stop the group. (This could be due to disagreement or lack of time or energy.)

As explained in Fist to Five Consensus Building Process:

At any point after a decision proposal has been made, you can assess the group's current position by calling for a show/statement of "Fist to Five." Here is how to read the responses:

4-5: Responses of "four" or "five" mean consensus has been achieved and the proposal can be considered "approved." The group can now move forward to implementation of the proposal and/or to the next issue or topic. Ideally, "approval" is achieved when all responses are at least "three" and mostly "four" and "five." Some proposals can't be implemented unless there's also a "5" (i.e. a person who will accept the responsibility of leadership).

3: "Three" - While acceptable, a "three" strongly suggests the need for the facilitator to ask what else, if anything, can be done for the "three" people to raise their responses to "four" or "five." Nothing may be needed nor can be done; however, it is important to clarify whether the "three" indicates a substantive reservation that needs to be addressed.

0, 1, 2: "Fist," "one," or "two" - These require additional discussion to determine what else needs to be considered. Negotiation and compromise may be necessary in order to raise these responses to a "three" or higher.

Abstain: The group may be happy to accept any stand asides and go ahead, or it may work on a new proposal, especially if there are many stand asides.

Fist-to-Five Simple Poll Template for Slack

Follow these steps to create a post to check for consensus in Slack.

  1. Copy and paste the entire block below into the your Slack channel.
  2. Replace the specified sections with the proposal summary and reply-by date. The date should be at least one meeting away for written proposals.
  3. For written proposals, post the link to full proposal in the thread (see Slack Template below). If the proposal is in a google doc, the sharing settings should be set to “Anyone who has the link can view” to allow for easier review, but making sure comments and discussions are contained in Slack, real-time discussions, and github issues. For smaller proposals/temp checks, that line can be taken out.
  4. Pin the post in the Slack channel.
  5. If people decide a written proposal is needed, follow the instructions for a written proposal.
  6. Unpin the post after voting has completed.

Slack Template

*PROPOSAL: <Insert-proposal-summary-here.>*
Vote or reply in thread with any questions or comments by *<insert-date>*.
See full proposal: <insert-link-here>

>:consensus_5: I support the proposal and am willing to be one of the leaders.
>:consensus_4: I support the proposal and will help implement it.
>:consensus_3: I’m not in total agreement but am willing to go forward without further discussion.
>:consensus_2: I still would like to discuss some minor issues.
>:consensus_1: I still need to discuss certain issues and suggest changes to be made.
>:consensus_0: I have a fundamental disagreement with the core of the proposal.
>:consensus_abstain: I will not help implement this idea but don’t want to stop the group. (This could be due to disagreement or lack of time or energy.)

Useful Resources

To help proposal readers make their decision and/or get context

  1. Seeds for Change - Consensus Decision Making: A Short Guide
  2. Emergent Strategy (pp 232-233) by Adrienne Maree Brown
  3. Fist to Five Consensus Building Process
  4. Template from Code for Boston - feel free to copy this and/or the google doc!

Proposal History

2020/01/31

  1. Vote: one 5 (@plocket)
  2. No concerns raised. No changes made.
  3. Unpinned from channel, post updated to reflect decision, issue updated similarly, 'decision' label added.

2020/01/24

  1. Action: Proposal issue made, posted in Slack, and pinned to the channel.
plocket commented 4 years ago

Hmm, we could make an issue template.

plocket commented 4 years ago

Update - I believe the issue template has been made!