[Businessmtg] KBDM Discussion

[Bob Larson]

Did we get any business done this month ?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <logmark at comcast.net>
To: <robert.b.larson at verizon.net>
Cc: "ASP Business" <businessmtg at asp-afg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 5:05 PM
Subject: [Businessmtg] KBDM Discussion


> Biz-Pals,
>
> [Sorry to see it's getting a little "spicy" in the business wing of ASP.
> That said, I've seen spicy business meetings before (including one
> where the two gals with the longest recovery nearly brought the house
> down with their personal attacks,) and have yet to see one where
> things don't smooth out with a little patience and understanding.]
>
> I happen to be on my Area's Policy Committee, and we are struggling
> similarly with strong differences of opinions. There are those who 
> absolutely
> refuse to give up on Robert's Rules and insist that the motion/second 
> method
> is sacrosanct. Others are willing to explore KBDM because it more nearly
> parallels Al-Anon's Traditions, Concepts, and Warranties. [Doesn't this
> sound typically Al-Anon?!]
>
> Anyone who has been around the Robert's Rules block a few times
> has seen many examples of two folks getting together and agreeing to
> form a motion and second it even though the body as a whole has little
> or minimal interest in its content. The upside is that even hopeless 
> causes
> get their opportunity to be addressed. The downside is that in the 
> discussion
> following the motion, only those party to the motion have given much 
> thought
> to it and are therefore often the only informed folks in the room. Pet 
> projects
> often get passed, and good ideas sometimes get rejected, simply because 
> the
> discussion isn't preceded by information and perspective.
>
> Al-Anon's traditions of unity - both as addressed in Tradition 1 on group 
> Unity,
> Concepts 4 & 5 on Participation and Minority Voice, and Warranty 3 
> regarding
> how we reach decisions: "that all decisions be reached by discussion, vote 
> and,
> whenever possible, by unanimity," suggest that KBDM is more suited to 
> making
> decisions within Al-Anon than the "for or against" process Robert's Rules 
> require.
>
> Using KBDM, our Area has been able to focus on topics where most are 
> already
> in agreement rather than focus on topics where there is a great deal of 
> contentiousness.
> I won't say that is always smooth. We have yet to work out how to 
> prioritize the
> topics for discussion. Since the Policy Committee only meets once a year 
> or so,
> it is taking us eons to get these things worked out. It turns out that 
> this is a huge
> advantage, not the disadvantage one would normally think. You see, many of 
> the
> things we could be spending very long days discussing to death were we to 
> meet more
> often solve themselves without the "benefit" of administrative meddling.
>
> So my point of view is that if it needs done in a hurry, we ought not do 
> it. That goes
> along with how I work my Program personally: if you aren't going to give 
> me whatever
> time its takes to pray, meditate, and cogitate my way to a decision, then 
> my answer is
> and always will be an automatic "No."
>
> One possible suggestion that may be needed both in my Area and here at ASP 
> is that
> the entire group could be involved it setting priorities for items on the 
> agenda. If we
> were to have a period where all Business Committee members could toss 
> their topic
> suggestions into the ring, then have the topics listed for all to 
> consider, we could then
> each re-submit that list in our own priority order. All of our individual 
> lists could then be
> tallied, and the resulting Priority of the Group would become the order of 
> business discussions.
> Each of us would get to equally participate (Concept 4,) be heard (Concept 
> 5,) and
> we could then practice Warranty 3 (which, by the way, reads very much to 
> me like the
> KBDM process.)
>
> How I understand the KBDM process works:
> ~ Topic of discussion named.
> ~ Open discussion, including exploration of tangent topics that arise.
> ~ Where general agreement on a subject is identified, a motion is formed 
> and voted on.
> ~ Where general disagreement continues, discussion is continued, tabled, 
> or dropped
>    according to the group conscience.
>
> One system for solving differences that I know absolutely Does Not Work, 
> is pissing
> contests. We are undertaking ASP's business in a new and unfamiliar way. 
> This process
> is going to take cooperation, patience, and time - just another 
> opportunity to practice our
> principles of recovery rather than our disease's preference for ire and 
> vinegar.
>
> Thanks and Hugs,
> Jerry in Michigan
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