Our institutions and governance structures are under stress. What may have worked at other times no longer cuts it. We’re also bumping up against a wall of political, financial and ecological crisis. Yet we often fail to see these are human problems. Because we humans are capable of extraordinary generosity, compassion, and innovation, we have within and among us the ability to address them. Barriers lie not in what we can or cannot do, but in what we can imagine.

Community Consensus creates the conditions for imagining what’s possible, to envision best possible outcomes and to spur the beliefs, behaviors, strategies and actions needed to realize them. The process builds trusting relationships: authentic connections that become fertile soil for transformation. Revitalization in one realm sparks restoration in another: healing people, healing systems, healing country. A feeling of constriction gives way to expansiveness, scarcity to abundance.

Goals are framed as finding new ground, a departure from the more typical quest for “common ground”. The notion of new ground creates space for emergent solutions that have yet to be considered, and beyond what can be imagined individually. Such solutions may better serve the needs of all parties than, say, meeting in the middle. 

Key tenets

Distributing Power. In many settings, the placement of power is codified. This disenfranchises those at the lower rungs and isolates those in the higher echelons—particularly during times of uncertainty. Equalizing power guards against disenfranchisement and overwhelm; it affords agency to those rarely given power and relieves those at the top from pressure to always be right. It forges new ground for solutions outside existing structures and constraints.

Respectful Listening. Perhaps the biggest gift we can give to another is to truly listen: this conveys that someone is valued and what they say has value. A group in which people listen to each other becomes a community; often it is what is unsaid that causes tension. Knowing that one will be listened to frees people to be creative and authentic.

Trust as Currency. Respectful listening generates trust. A state of trust allows for calmness and clear thinking, which facilitate group efforts and dynamics. Many settings are fueled by adrenalin, marked by anxiety about how one is perceived, colleagues’ intentions, and other worries that can surface. The stress response detracts from performance and from ease in relationships.

Accepting Uncertainty. In many institutions uncertainty is frowned upon: you’re given a position because you’re supposed to know something. However, uncertainty sets up appropriate conditions for learning. A cousin to uncertainty is fear, an emotion that can block one’s ability to see potential. We regard fear as a crucible and create zones of safety for articulating fear, which frees up energy.   

Experiential Learning. Learning is most powerful when people arrive at “knowing” something themselves, and when it derives from in-the-moment experience. Learning is also a precursor to change. We facilitate deep learning by establishing an accepting environment, giving people the time they need, and acknowledging and modeling that we are all both teachers and learners.