One Community
Policies and Procedures
As a diverse team of people working together to create world change, experience has taught us the key elements that are foundational to the smooth and effective operation of our organization as a whole. We have also learned that if we are all accountable to each of these key elements, then traditional administration and management is not necessary. With this in mind, all new members of One Community are asked to read and agree to the following as part of joining the One Community team:
RELATED PAGES
WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE SEEK | GETTING DONE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT
As a member of the team, I agree to be present, communicative, and supportive toward the One Community processes that require my participation for the integrity and success of the group and this project. This includes:
- Monthly participation in the Welcome Team Call (optional for Satellite Members)
- Weekly participation in either the Weekly Team Call or a Project Team Call (optional for Satellite Members)
- Being proactive in asking “how can I help” whenever I don’t know what to do
- Timely and regular checking and responding to all emails addressed specifically to me
- Completing a minimum of 5 weekly hours of “tangible contribution” to One Community’s forward movement
- Completing and logging my community contribution time (using the Highest Good Network app) each week by Saturday night at midnight PST
- Prior communication to the team of any situation that I expect will make any of the above contribution unworkable (see also the Communication page)
I understand that my participation in all of the above, and One Community as a world changing organization in its current phase of development, requires a minimum contribution of anywhere from 7-10 hours each week, exceptional communication, and exemplary responsibility and I agree to be proactive and accountable. I also understand that falling out of alignment with any of the above agreements could be grounds for asking me to leave One Community.
HANDS-OFF ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY
The guidelines listed in the Accountability Statement are considered mandatory. As a team we want to celebrate and maintain our group’s effectiveness while leaving room for life’s unexpected and expected occurrences. The following three areas we consider most important:
- A minimum of 5 tangible contribution hours completed and logged each week (by Saturday night at 11:59 PM PST) using the Highest Good Network
- Weekly participation in either the Weekly Team Call or a Project Team Call (optional for Satellite Members)
- Monthly participation in the Welcome Team Call (optional for Satellite Members)
One Community monitors these areas and generates a form letter anytime one of the above areas is missed. For each missed activity, a blue square is recorded in the Highest Good Network and the form letter is sent to notify the individual and indicate what action is required, if any. The purpose of the form letter is to eliminate the need for managerial-type conversations.
For missed tangible contribution, time must always be made up in the following week. For missed calls, no action is needed unless 6 or more instances of missing calls and/or completing hours have been indicated. In the case of 6 or more missed weeks of tangible contribution and/or instances of not participating in the mandatory calls, an additional hour of tangible contribution is added to the person’s One Community participation for the next week. This number increases by 1 hour for every blue square beyond the 6-instance ceiling. Failure beyond the 6-instance ceiling to complete required hours plus additional hours in the following week results in removal from the One Community team.
FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Q: What is tangible contribution?
Please read this page: Getting done what needs to be done: Tangible Contribution
Q: Are there any exceptions to any of the above policies and procedures?
To maintain our system without the need for managers or administrators, flexibility is already included in the system itself and there are no exceptions to the above policies and procedures.
Q: Why is this system so rigid/black and white/etc.?
Foremost is because flexibility is built into the system. The expectations are low, multiple allowances without any consequences are built in for the unexpected, and people can miss calls and/or tangible contribution as frequently as they need to as long as they are always making up the time required. The second reason is to maintain a straightforward standard that does not leave room for interpretation. As we’ve said before, flexibility for “life just happening” is already built in.
Q: I’m thinking about applying to be a Pioneer or Satellite Member and I have questions about something on this page (or anywhere on this website), what do I do to get clarification?
Please email us at [email protected]! We are happy to answer any question you may have and every question we get is integrated into this website to further improve it as a resource.
Q: How will these policies and procedures translate when moving onto the property?
When we get to the property we are going to be working shoulder-to-shoulder every day to build our homes, food infrastructure, energy infrastructure and more. At this time it will be more important than ever to really celebrate our functioning as an elite and effective team and identify any non-elite behaviors and members to maintain the integrity of the larger team and achieve team success. This same format will be implemented with new hours (learn more here) and operational details as decided by consensus of the group in the first week of moving onto the property.
Q: Why are tangible contribution hours so low?
Tangible contribution requirements are low because we respect the time of our 100% unpaid and volunteer staff. Everyone contributes more if they can, which amounts to 20-40 consistent hours every week for some team members and the minimum of 5 consistent hours for others. Once Pioneers arrive on the property, each individual Pioneer will contribute 40 hours to the maintenance and evolution of One Community.
Q: What do you mean by weekly participation in either the Weekly Team Call or a Project Team Call?
Project Team calls are only available for people working in groups managed by a Project Manager. People in these groups are welcome to participate in both calls but only need to participate in one or the other because Project Team Facilitators can check in for their team members on the Weekly Team Call.
Q: What are the specific policies and procedures in relation to the calls?
Team calls are foundational to the effective functioning of our organization. Per the One Community Hands-Off Administrative Policy, the following guidelines have been established for the Weekly Team Calls, Welcome Team Calls, and Project Team Calls:
Attendees are expected to join all calls punctually at their starting time and remain on the call for the full duration. However, when an emergency or unexpected event may arise, to be counted as “in attendance” and avoid a blue square (see the Policies and Procedures) for Welcome Team and Weekly Team calls, the following must be met (Project Team calls are arranged with the Project Team leader):
- A person must join the call no later than 30 minutes after it has begun.
- A person must be on the call for a minimum of 30 minutes or, in the case that the call ends less than 30 minutes from when the person joined, until the call ends.
In these situations, a person is expected to email the team as soon as they know they’ll be late and include in their email the time they expect to join the call. This way everyone knows when to expect them and we minimize late-joining disruption to the calls. (See also the Communication page.)
Q: Are there any differences in your policies for Satellite Members?
For Satellite Members the Welcome Team Calls, Project Team Calls, and Weekly Team Calls are optional. It is highly encouraged for all team members to be present on weekly team calls, so if a Satellite Member intends to not join a Weekly Team Call, they must email the team prior to the start of the Weekly Team Call so the team knows they will not be joining, or they will receive a blue square.
Q: What if I really want to be a part of world change but I don’t agree with one or more of your policies and procedures?
Consider joining us as a consultant/volunteer (click here for the Consultant’s/Voluneer’s Page) and/or just follow our progress. We expect other communities will follow with different views on these issues and we will happily promote their success if they are part of the open source and free-sharing network of teacher/demonstration communities, villages, and cities that we are helping to create. Here are the best ways to follow our progress:
The point of One Community is to build living blueprints open source so everyone can then use them for duplication. If you feel like you’d like to see a different version of One Community, we invite you to embrace the task of working with us and using everything we’ve already created to form another iteration of this idea, with a new set of rules/policies/guidelines, and attract to this idea the people who share your values and thus like your rule sets. In so doing, providing another for The Highest Good of All option with a different approach.
