I recently put together a document related to the culture we intend to nurture in the intentional neighborhood of Echo Hills Cottages. I thought I would share it here and would love to hear your response.
Introduction:
Echo Hills Cottages is an “intentional” pocket neighborhood of small green built homes. We support trusting and respectful relationships, along with open communication, for meaningful interpersonal connection and a collaborative governance.
Rather than an ideal definition of community, we believe that true community is the collaborative result of our collective intention. We encourage the following key principles as a foundation to establish that intention and to nurture a culture of collaboration. For more information about these principles and the tools for facilitation, please see A CoCreative Path
Intention:
Clear personal intention is a prerequisite for effective collaboration and is established through mindful awareness. This requires the attitude of an observer to explore beliefs, emotions, assumptions, perceptions, needs, motivation, etc. It also requires the willingness to engage with others without judgment, as well as an awareness of the control issues and dysfunctional patterns we tend to gravitate toward in conflict.
Connection:
Relational connection is the result of conscious and compassionate communication as we listen for understanding, express empathy, and create intimacy. It first requires listening as an observer to move beyond judgment based on personal experience and beliefs. It also requires authenticity and compassion in our speech.
Alignment:
Interpersonal alignment is explored in self disclosure as we share vision, values, and expectations. It is established in transparency and clear agreements. It protects us from assumption and is part of the foundation for effective collaboration to be built upon.
Innovation:
Innovation is the result of collaborative synergy, and is established through participatory decision making. It is built on the foundation of agreement and in the context of interpersonal awareness and conscious communication.
Participatory decision making embraces conflict as a creative opportunity to address the competing perspectives, values, needs, and desires of everyone. It is a dynamic process rooted in the values of equivalence and transparency.
Again, you can find out more about these principle and tools for facilitation at A CoCreative Path.