Often, our cooperatives are formed as a response or alternative to the destructive power dynamics in the mainstream hyper-capitalist and oppressive systems. However, it often takes some unlearning and new structures to help us create the workspaces that we dream of. Sometimes, we even experience harmful power dynamics and uncomfortable situations in our teams that we’re trying to replace. Through presentation and simulation, you’ll learn how to analyze the power (harmful and generative) dynamics in your team. There will be time for cooperative leaders and employees to dive into the dynamics that they’ve experienced and how to make sense of it and make changes. Participants will learn some simple, yet powerful tools and frameworks for making incremental change in their coops as well as strengthening their democratic decision-making and communication processes. In sum, we’ll share our organizational analysis of power (the Power Matrix), discuss how power affects every facet of our work lives and, most importantly, consider what we can concretely do every day to use collaborative power through comprehensive communications and democratic decision-making practices.
Moderator: Rebecca Fisher-McGinty, Communications Wizard, Round Sky Solutions
Panelist: Daniel Little, Co-Founder and Leadership Coach, Round Sky Solutions
