Revision as of 05:25, 5 May 2006

Welcome to the experimental CNVC Board section of NVCwiki. The goal of this area is to eventually enable CNVC Board members and others they might select, to edit official documents. It is our hope that two needs may be met in this way. First, the international CNVC Board will be able to collaborate on the creation of official documents by using this wiki interface. Second, anyone interested in better understanding CNVC decisions will be able to watch the documents evolve and add their own comments and suggestions in the Public Comment areas.

This introduction was written by John Wiley, and represents his views only. After this section has been explored by other Board members it might be voted on to become an official CNVC section, but at this point it is unofficial.

GCC Draft Proposal

A proposal to make the CNVC Board more inclusive, responsive to, and representative of the entire global NVC community, for example by including Sociocratically elected members.

Initially created at the Albuquerque Strategy Session, 19 – 20 March 2006

Group Present: Marshall Rosenberg, Valentina Rosenberg, Jori Manske, Jim Manske, John Buck, Stefan Wisbauer, Barbara Larson.

Proposal to the Board and Network.

The following proposal is offered to the Board of CNVC for consent:

The Board is establishing procedures to ensure representation by inviting present large geographic groups of one or more country involved in NVC to nominate representatives by consent of their group to a newly constituted Global Coordinating Circle (GCC), which will serve as the guiding body for the international NVC community including CNVC. Due to U.S. non-profit corporate law, GCC representatives would not automatically become CNVC Board members although GCC representatives' consent will carry equal Sociocratic weight in Board decisions.

The following is offered as background, support and definition for this proposal:

1. Observations

The NVC movement has seen impressive growth in recent years and is conducting an impressive breadth of activities in a large number of geographies. Strong potential exists for further growth and meaningful contribution by the overall movement to the vision (a world where all people have access to getting their needs met, resolving their conflicts peacefully and creating and participating in networks of worldwide life-serving systems in economics, education, justice, healthcare, and peace-keeping) and mission of CNVC (to contribute to this vision by facilitating the creation of life-serving systems within ourselves, interpersonally, and within organizations). Stronger connections are possible within the movement to coordinate activities, support each other, share ideas and information etc. The organizational structure could meet more needs of stake-holders for clarity, connection, identity, contribution, and meaning.

2. Intention

Any models or strategies for organizing such connections be in harmony with the mission and principles of the NVC process and consciousness. This proposal aims to address some of the needs mentioned but additional strategies may be adopted over time to address the wider network’s and its members’ needs in full. The next section is intended to outline initial change suggestions to begin an organizational transformation process that leads to a dynamically adapting life-serving system and that serves the network’s needs while living the process of NVC in the overall community

3. Proposed Strategy

Create a ‘Global Coordinating Circle’ (GCC) to serve as the guiding body for the international NVC community and CNVC with the following key roles:

• Visioning / developing strategies for the NVC movement: what contribution to the world will the international NVC organization make?
• Fueling of connection for the overall NVC community
• Fueling of organizational adaptation and evolution, initially focused on promoting the establishment of global circles (including the promotion of sociocracy and/or other methods of ‘non-violent’ organizing).
• Promoting the establishment and sharing of "leaderful" strategies for running NVC practice groups that could be replicated with or without trainers.
• Creating greater clarity around initiatives and projects and fundraising to support them.
• Directing, with a service attitude, the overall movement including CNVC.
• Hiring and reviewing the performance of the CEO of CNVC.
• Being responsible for the financial health, sustainability, but not the lawful responsibilities and actions of CNVC, its staff, and charter so long as CNVC exists as a legal 501-C(3) entity.

Specific short-term tasks

• Search for and recommend to the CNVC Board the hiring of a permanent CEO for CNVC.
• Determine the kinds of decisions the GCC will make; how the GCC will stay connected to the global NVC movement; and the relationship between the GCC and CNVC Board and Staff, creating clearly differentiated areas of responsibility that can be measured and evaluated.
• Affirm or modify the current CNVC budget by recommendation to the Board.
• Work to create clarity about the legal requirements and responsibilities of the CNVC board and the GCC (for example, how income and expenses are handled; how agreements between CNVC and others are handled, eg copyrights, royalties; and clarifying ownership of assets and liabilities currently held by CNVC).

Long-term perpetuation and representation strategy to determine GCC membership

Establishment of the GCC:

• All current board members will automatically be members of the GCC.
• An election process amongst the network is proposed to nominate further members to ensure regional representation.
• Regions will be self-organizing and will be made of large geographic areas that span the totality of one or more countries based on the current number of certified trainers in the area.
• Those nominated from the network will be added to the GCC by its existing members if those members deem that the nominee can contribute together to the vision and mission of GCC with ease.

Functioning:
The GCC would meet by phone on a monthly basis initially, and self determine when and how often they will meet in order to fulfill their functions.

4. Ideas for consideration by the GCC

The group has the following suggestions for the GCC to consider:

• Creating a ‘live platform’ for connecting the network and the sharing of celebration, mourning, requests (general, to GCC, to others ...), sharing evidence of NVC impact and ideas within the network (i.e. some form of blog / wiki / ...).
• Encouraging and supporting new strategies for sharing NVC materials more widely, e.g. podcasting.
• Facilitating connections between training participants with each other and the wider NVC community, e.g. by encouraging giraffe conventions at local, national and international levels and / or creating e-platforms that support such connections.
• Offering easy access to concrete opportunities for the network or anyone to contribute to NVC initiatives, funding or any other forms of support.

5. Invitation to the network

The network is encouraged to:

• Submit comments on the creation / role and membership of the envisaged GCC.
• Propose members for election in their region to the GCC.
• Suggest organizational strategies for the initial GCC to consider.
• Pose other specific proposals or requests to the GCC.

6. Suggested requests to groups in the network:

To nominate a candidate for the GCC:

• Join with other centers in a country and/or language groups to nominate someone to the GCC by consent within the extended community who has the trust of community.
• State how many were directly involved in this choice and geographic regions represented.
• To provide the GCC with information about the state of the network, gather information and provide it to the GCC about the scope of your community. This report could include:
  • Number of participants, certified trainers.
  • Geography of those included.
  • What projects and work are happening in your community.
  • Intentions for your community.
  • Mission for your community.
  • Structure or organization of your community.
  • Synergistic partners, individuals and organizations involved with your community.
  • Fundraising in or for your community.
  • How many people are in your community's database, how many practice groups, number of trainings, who offered training.

-end of GCC Draft Proposal-

==Public Discussion== Click to read public discussion and Board responses or to add any comments you would like share with the Board.

Criteria For CEO Selection

The following characteristics are offered for consideration in generating a List of Criteria for selection of a CEO for CNVC:

Required

• Extensive experience with NVC, including the work of Robert Gonzales.
• Passion for contribution to the CNVC mission.
• Ability to maintain NVC consciousness in stressful and conflictual situations.
• History of collaboration and team building in NVC community.
• Experience with managing budgets.
• Familiarity with U.S. labor & non-profit laws and regulations.
• Fundraising experience.
• Experience using NVC in business or non-profit management.

Preferred

• CNVC Certified Trainer.
• Training and familiarity with Sociocracy and Chaordic principles.
• Mediation experience.
• Non-profit management experience.
• Experience working with media (public relations).
• Public speaking experience.
• Multilingual.
• Permanent U.S. work visa.
• Well-travelled.
• Experience or familiarity with common computer applications and networks.
• Leadership experience with collaboration between staff and global customer base.

==Public Discussion== Click to read public discussion and Board responses or to add any comments you would like share with the Board.

Draft Board Agenda - May Meeting

Below are all the items I believe have been so far been carried over or requested for our May 10 Board conference call meeting, currently scheduled for 8am PT / 5pm CET. -John Wiley

• Note: to find out the current Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and Universal Time (UTC, which I believe is the same as GMT), you can visit this website by clicking on this link:
  

Current Time (USN)

Previously Listed Agenda Items

• Consent on GCC Proposal.

• Liz Gay's nomination to the Board as GCC representative.

• Discuss change to certification-renewal process from percentage of net gains to a Membership Fee (±10 minutes - Godfrey).

• Discuss NVC World and how to make the best use of Linnaea’s energies both past and present (±10 minutes - Godfrey).

• Discussion of database, wiki, blog and other technology support options (15 minutes - John).

Recent Additions

• Update on GCC process (Jori? John B.?)]

• “The Board agreed that all CNVC bodies would do their best to live the process of Nonviolent Communication” (Godfrey 2’)

• The following elections by consent (in order of priority) to agenda (Jori):
  

 1. secretary

 2. vice-president

• Proposal: In preparation for the June Board meeting Members will review the current Board Policies and determine which meet our needs and which we would like to change. The Board will determine next steps for updating the Board Policies at the June 2006 Board meeting.

See: CNVC Board Policies.

• Proposal: Board Members will review what needs are met and unmet by the role of the interim director position and Jori's work in relation to this role and be prepared for this evaluation at the June 2006 Board meeting for decision on renewal until Sept 30, 2006.

• Board meeting location, frequency and review of Needs/strategies.

Proposal for a Final Agenda

Just to move us towards an agenda that might work, here is a proposed order with estimated time requirements:

Requested Additions

De-certification of trainers in Belgium. Although a long-standing agreement exists between the CNVC Office and the Belgian Association of Certified Trainers, all trainers in Belgium have been removed from the CNVC website. Godfrey requests they be re-instated forthwith pending the outcome of discussions in progress so that their details and trainings can appear on the site. -Godfrey

> Election of open posts (secretary / vice president) - 45mins (?) (note: nominations ahead of time not required for sociocratic voting process if I understand it right)

> Proposal: Board Members will review what needs are met and unmet by the role of the interim director position and Jori's work in relation to this role and be prepared for this evaluation at the June 2006 Board meeting for decision on renewal until Sept 30, 2006 - 10mins

> Proposal: that the next in-person meeting in Atlanta be cancelled and that someone (tbd) propose an alternative board regulation looking to provide more flexibility in strategy in order to meet the board member's and organization's needs - 10 mins

> Consent on GCC Proposal (request: all board members to read current GCC version on wiki & propose changes either via wiki, email or during the call) - 30mins

> Update on GCC nomination process - 10mins

> Acceptance of Liz Gay's nomination to the GCC (the GCC proposal consent will have clarified the relationship of GCC and board but, for time being, Liz has been nominated to the GCC is my understanding) - 5-10 minutes

> Proposal: In preparation for the June Board meeting Members will review the current Board Policies and determine which meet our needs and which we would like to change. The Board will determine next steps for updating the Board Policies at the June 2006 Board meeting - 10mins

> Discuss NVC World and how to make the best use of Linnaea’s energies both past and present - ±10 minutes - Godfrey

> Discussion of database, wiki, blog and other technology support options - 15 minutes - John

This would add up to 140 minutes, i.e. the lower topics might have to be addressed through other strategies (email, bouncing to next meeting, separate call of interested subgroup etc.) if time doesn't allow discussion over the phone on this occasion.

Other items raised and proposed strategy for addressing the needs behind them:

> Discuss change to certification-renewal process from percentage of net gains to a Membership Fee (±10 minutes - Godfrey, this sounds like a potentially complex topic, I would suggest we prepare a more specific proposal including some of the pros and cons, some data about actual revenue from trainer contributions and share it via email or ahead of next month's meeting, otherwise it could be a long discussion with limited grounding and no clear conclusion).

> “The Board agreed that all CNVC bodies would do their best to live the process of Nonviolent Communication” (Godfrey 2’) (request to Godfrey: would you be willing to clarify how you define CNVC bodies? Would suggest the board 'requests' rather than 'agrees'. I am sure this will find everyone's agreement in spirit, I am struggling a little bit the specificity, could we also put this onto next month and for time being e.g. propose that the GCC do (that would then fit under item 2)?)

Comments welcome, I am personally comfortable to have John, Jori or Godfrey just make the final call on the proposed agenda and if serious objections arise, we address them at the beginning of the call. (this was Stefan writing)

==Public Discussion== Click to read public discussion and Board responses or to add any comments you would like share with the Board.

CNVC IT Committee

Click on the title to visit the CNVC Information Technology (IT) page on NVCwiki.