Board & LT Conference, February 24, 2007

Note that for the first part of this Conference in Albuquerque the Board and LT met jointly to facilitate ease of dialog about the many changes begun at the October Conference in North Carolina where we distinguished between the Board, LT, and GCC. Board and LT teleconference meetings have recently been combined due to the extensive overlap in agenda, but beginning sometime in 2007 we anticipate holding them separately.

DAY 1

• Present: Marshall, Valentina, Jori, Stefan, Katherine, John Wiley
• Observers: Danielle, William, Anne, John Buck, Jim Manske
• Morning: reports.

Discussion

• Stefan:

• In house trainers
• PR person: goals have us in 2 big newspaper, or magazines or something like that.
• General manager
• MBR&V connecting more with the LT. focus on social change projects.
• Check in with your team.
• Priorities: roles, get positions filled
• Responding to the requests coming in.

• MBR&V respond:

• Video conferencing studio is being set up in their home in May. (have William involved)
• Podcasts for on website.
• MBR: let's locate groups we want to work with in social change. Identify teams in our network and they can work with the people in these projects. I want time to make that happen.
• General manager have some entrepreneurial enthusiasm. We are like a start up. Stefan connected with headhunters.
• Have video conferencing around the world.

Decision

Barbara Rinaldi to be the Executive Director.
Note: This decision was subsequently rescinded.

Discussion regarding this decision (no longer relevant): Barbara Rinaldi will continue as consultant to Valentina. Spend 2 weeks with Jori in the office, asap. Jori work with her for 3 months. On month to month basis. Specific dates to do the "how goes it" with all 4 (MBR&V and Jori). request to take NVC training. Board and LT participate in the 3 month "how goes it" session.

Decision

Invitation to Robert Gonzales to be a member of the CNVC board for 2 years.

Note: efforts will be made to coordinate Robert's schedule with the Rosenbergs and other members, when setting meeting dates. One strategy discussed for future Conferences is to consider holding them in Albuquerque to facilitate ease for Robert and the Rosenbergs.

Decision

Stefan to be a board member for 1 more year. (till March 2008).

Note: discussion included the importance of continuity in membership as new members are recruited, and the need for more members and particularly for officers such as Treasurer. The character of the Board is anticipated to change, as leaders from related organizations are invited to join and bring their outside perspective.

Discussion

Suggestions for new Board members: Eduardo Montoya-Arriens, Jamie Conglose, Charles Koeting, Maria Arpa, John Buck, Danielle Beenders, Enrique Toro , Wayne Muller, William Ury, Richard Rohr, Michael Bechwick, Anne van Stappen, Gail Taylor, someone from Africa.

Decision

SEP-IRA set at 7% for 2006.

Comment: This decision had to do with choosing the rate for CNVC staff benefits, and included consideration of their needs and the current financial soundness of the organization.

Check-out

• John Wiley: tired, celebrating closeness of circle, curious and hopeful about coming days.
• Anne: celebrating all we got done.
• Jori: tired, full, intrigued, enjoying the resources coming in. curious about a lot of unknown.
• Jim: tired, happy enjoyed the day.
• Marshall: glad about what we did and how we did it.
• Valentina: celebration and tired.
• William: lot of decisions made, excited about tomorrow.
• Danielle: Tired.
• Katherine: glad MBR and V are getting the support they need from Barbara.
• John Buck: Happy about discipline in the going around. John went back on himself with some discomfort he felt. That accomplish more in NC then we thought. Clear leadership is helpful.

DAY 2

• Present: Marshall, Valentina, Jori, John Wiley, Katherine
• Observers: Danielle, William, Anne, John Buck, Jim Manske

• Healing.
• Sociocracy training and consulting by John Buck.

DAY 3

• Present: John Wiley, Marshall, Valentina, Jori, Katherine
• Observers: Danielle, William, Anne, John Buck, Jim

Discussion

• Conciousness. The essence of NVC is more than the 4 steps. How can we make it a more central part of the training? Our training could be more powerful. The consciousness is the center, and transforms our relationships with family, friends and self.
• Social change. We are doing a good job of connecting people with their families and themselves, but don't always help them to see the social change part. Their consciousness effects the economy and other social systems. How do we as a community want to contribute to social change? Beyond helping people to bring more consciousness to their close relationships with NVC, it's also important to inspire them at the same time to take it further and help to transform society in life-serving ways.
• Consciousness in the CNVC office is an important area where we're continuing improvement.
• Media is crucial for extending our contributions. For example, spreading NVC in different languages via video and making a 9-CD set with focus on social change.
• Connecting within the network is crucial. Projects happen without everyone's knowledge.
• How can we increase the connection and collaboration within the B/LT for our decisions?
• We are all driven by our CNVC mission. For most of us a big challenge has been in creating and maintaining loving connection with close colleagues. Although those needs are generally met, we have sometimes been tempted to retreat into ourselves as a protective mechanism when not feeling safe.
• All of us want to direct more attention to the social change elements of NVC.
• Social change example: project for Mexican women.
• Get group of trainers to focus on specific social change tasks.
• A fulltime Media person would focus on getting awareness of all CNVC work out around the world.
• GCC is link to projects, they have connection already.
• Working with a fundraiser would enable us to do many more things.
• A full-time institutional fundraiser might enable large-scale social change projects funded by UN, World Bank, Foundations or Corporations, etc.
• Get trainers for introductory talks instead of MBR.
• MBR do more specific trainings, like mediation or weekend for Certification Team. MBR in more advanced trainings.
• Newsletter. Send them out with book orders, and make sure organizers are printing them for IITs and workshops.
• "Newspaper" on our new website, something like google news, focused on the key aspects of social change where we would like to focus: Busines/Economics, Restorative Justice, Education, Government, Personal Liberation.

"Picture Forming" on Office Relocation

John Buck facilitated this Sociocratic process as a focus for further integration of tools into our NVC meeting process, while also exploring the overall topic of whether to consider an office move.

2. Questions, Exploration of issues.

(with summary of subsequent discussion)

• If CNVC left LA, would NVC leave LA (support for growing LA NVC community)?
• Where? SB, ABQ, AZ, LA, Costa Rica.
• When? Soon has advantages and disadvantages, as does moving at all.
• Expense? Difficult to assess, but probably many unforeseen costs and savings.
• Local/state laws. CA nonprofit laws and regulations are an unwelcome burden.
• Proximity of V&MBR to office (+/-) (convenience, ease, comfort, legal support, resources).
• Labor pool. ABQ has large NVC volunteer community and low cost qualified employees.
• Need giraffe consciousness community and volunteer pool. LA has less of both.
• How fill the positions we need.
• Other systems, considering impacts. Very complex and delicate.
• Impact on current staff. Mixed so far, more info needed from them.
• Stability & continuation of work being done (during transition). Challenging.
• How would move support our mission? Many considerations.
• Could be both organization center & community center.
• What is the symbolism in the move? ABQ still in U.S.
• Why move? Do we relocate with each new ED?
• Rosenbergs would be convenient to people working in office if in ABQ.
• Where could relocate that would help us to what we want to do?
• Virtuality? No physical office?
• Multiple Offices and virtual office(s)?
• Multi-lingual / multi-cultural (favors multiple &/or virtual offices).
• Support IIT. If in ABQ, IITs held there would be better supported.
• Buy versus lease property/building. Prefer to buy for long-term.

3. Proposal forming.

• Round to collect proposal ideas.
• Bridge the ideas:

Step 1

• Explore moving LT/Board Meetings and Office to ABQ.
• Assign a project manager to research:

• Place to buy in ABQ (with what funds, donors, sell how soon?).
• NVC in LA (strengthening before and until move).
• Care for current staff.
• Logistics (phones, server, existing literature).
• Adjust current personnel to address local labor laws (ABQ vs. LA).
• Communication with network about rationale and future plans involving them.
• Assign move project manager to make plan, including timing of plan and move.

Step 2

• Expand from ABQ.
• 24 hour phone cover.
• Phone number(s) around the world.
• Multiple languages.
• virtual offices, distributed resources to address regional/local needs.
• Bookstores (each language and region).
• Retail / commercial space in ABQ, then elsewhere.
• Rural community residential center in ABQ area, then elsewhere.

Potential name: Marshall Rosenberg Peace Study Institute.

• Regional offices (match language groups).

Decision

Jim Manske be the Move Research Manager. First step is to come up with the announcement for the network to be approved in this meeting before sent out to network. Rest of preliminary plan to be presented in 30 days.

Picture Forming: Communication between MBR&V and the LT

• M&V hire full time personal secretary asap (available 24 hrs).
• Valentina take lead role with support form Marshall.
• Marshall continue as director of education.
• Barbara Rinaldi (as consultant) to help Jori, Marshall and Valentina define work flow, helps define job of "E.D." person and helps with job search, helps with structure building and strategic planning.
• Hire office manager (temp) for LA.
• Hire office manager for ABQ and volunteers.
• Hire accountant for ABQ.
• John Wiley help with office until move from LA.
• Keep searching for a third person in the leadership (E.D.) team with M&V.
• Barbara and Jamie help M&V on strategic planning.
• Job description for M&V's assistant: capture & document information, 24/7 communication & support, someone able to maintain personal balance in such a challenging role.

DAY 4

• Present: John Wiley, Marshall, Valentina, Jori, Katherine
• Observers: John Buck, Danielle, William, Anne, Jim.
• Next phone Board meeting:

PT: March 14, 2007 at noon US PT - 1pm US MT

Conference Dial-in Number: (712) 580-0600

Participant Access Code: 432094#

• Consensus: We do not use the words sociocracy synergistically in our organization, we use "skills and tools for running meetings effectively, staying in power with."
• Picture forming/heart storming on ED role.

Decision

Decision of Day 1 to hire Barbara Rinaldi as E.D. rescinded. Barbara instead asked to serve as consultant to help Jori, Marshall and Valentina define work flow, help define job roles of "E.D." and help with job search, help with structure building and strategic planning.

Valentina's Needs

1. INTEGRITY,TRUTH, HONESTY, with each other and to practice our "Scary Honesty", with each other.
   
2. To be called when someone at the office needs me. I will feel more DISTURBED if staff or others working with me, DO NOT CALL ME because, they are concerned THAT THEY WILL BE DISTURBING ME. THANKS,
   
3. I Need a Personal Assistant, and I will continue to use Barbara Rinaldi as a Consultant. THANKS

• John Buck check-out: honored to have been able to contribute. Look forward to more connection.

Jori's Needs

• Meaning, purpose, transformative. Make a difference. Care.
• Growth and learning to bring us forward.
• Support, bring the resources so we can have time to harvest the growth, so we can move forward.
• Communication; Big need for feedback.
• Structure.
• Strategic help. Get ideas on how to hold it all.
• Want to make sure her need of us-ness with Jim gets met.

Check-out

• John Wiley: appreciation, love, willingness, excitement, hope, enthusiasm.
• Katherine: content, happy.
• Danielle: funny mode now. Excited and intrigued.
• Jori: mourning, thankful for the feedback mourning the lack of connection. Sweet in the moment deep send of a need met.
• William: hungry, thirsty.
• Valentina: blessed with all we have put together. With quality that meets my needs for purpose on the earth feeling, hope, excited, that this will manifest. Hopeful for our evolution.
• Anne: grateful, blessed and inspired.

LT MEETING

• Present: Marshall, Valentina, Anne, William, Jori, Jim, Danielle.
• Observers: Katherine, John

DAY 5

Board Meeting

Decision

Katherine Singer will be Board member Emeritus to fulfill the role of Treasurer until the board finds a new Treasurer.

LT Meeting

• Review of announcement letter

Decision

The search team to hire one person in ABQ as a office manager who is willing to be in LA temporarily asap. Decision to made by Marshall Valentina and consultant, and search team composed of: Anne Wiley, Valentina Rosenberg, Danielle Beenders and Jim Manske.