This seminar conducted by Dr. CHO Man-kit focuses on transforming decision-making processes in grassroots organizations through Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The seminar emphasizes cooperation as a core aspect of human sociality, highlighting how collaboration fosters complementary knowledge and creative stimulation.

The seminar meticulously dissects a spectrum of decision-making approaches. It starts with the autocratic model where a single leader wields decisive power, then moves on to the commonly practiced majority voting system, and finally delves into the consensus-building paradigm. In the in-depth exploration of these methodologies, leadership is ingeniously reimagined. It is not merely about exerting influence over others but also about possessing an unwavering openness to being influenced, all in the noble pursuit of shouldering the mantle of responsibility for collective well-being.

For collaboration to succeed, several essential conditions must be present, including a shared sense of purpose, a clear definition of the challenges at hand, and collective ownership of the issues involved. The role of facilitation is to enhance the efficiency and smoothness of meetings by crafting processes that foster collective intelligence. A central technique explored in this context is Convergent Facilitation, which guides groups toward decisions that all members can genuinely support. This method consists of important stages such as setting the atmosphere, establishing trust, defining the processes, gathering core principles, drafting proposals, and arriving at collective agreements.

The discussion further delves into the intricate art of managing differing opinions. It introduces the idea of threshold questions, which act as indicators of the group’s acceptance and readiness to compromise. The material highlights the important difference between personal preferences and the group’s collective readiness to endorse decisions for the common good. Throughout this process, the reframing of objections as valuable principles is actively encouraged, allowing the group to refine proposals to better meet everyone’s needs.

Written by: MOU, Jingfei

本周我參與了社會學博士 Dr. CHO 關於“從拉鋸戰到團隊合作： 用非暴力溝通轉變民間團體的決策過程 ”的講 座， 講座的核心議題是合作的必要性與實現方式。

生物學角度來看，合作是群居生物的基本特徵，而人類社會的超社會性（ultrasociality）更是推動了跨族群合作。 合作是不滿於既有的工作方式，不僅是為了追求效率和利益，更是為了實現平等 、 自由、意義和價值。在邁向理想 社會的過程中， 我們希望展現出理想社會的特質， 這就需要我們互相補充知識和盲點， 激發創意和協同作用 。

而因為合作就導致不得不一起做決定，包括領袖決策 、多數決投票和共識決策， 特別強調共識決策在現代社會中的重要性 。共識決策要求所有成員都同意和接受才會通過， 這不僅是一種決策方式， 更是一種促進有效合作的人際溝通技巧。

匯聚式促導方法是一種幫助團隊達成共識的決策工具。該方法通過識別和收集關鍵原則，設計滿足這些原則的 提案，最終通過集體決議來實現團隊合作 。這種方法強調了在決策過程中考慮每個人的需求， 以及如何通過開放討論和積極參與來達成共識 。此外， Dr. CHO 還討論了如何通過設定門檻問題來探測意願和異議的高低， 以及如何通過找出異議聲音來調整方案， 以達到人人都能接受的決定 。這種方法不僅有助於解決衝突， 還能促進團隊成員之間 的理解和信任。

合作並不總是一帆風順， 但通過非暴力溝通和匯聚式促導方法， 我們可以將衝突轉化為合作， 實現更有效的團 隊決策 。這場講座不僅提供了理論框架， 還提供了實際的工具和策略， 使我們能夠在實際工作中應用， 以促進更和 諧的團隊合作 。作為參與該講座的學生， 我感到收穫頗豐， 對如何在團隊中實現有效溝通和合作有了更深的理解。

Written by: XU, Leyi