For some time now, Team Facilitation has had the intention of introducing hand gestures to meetings, and there is finally a proposal to move forward with this. In fact, we are already using a some of them, but this adds a few more: https://c301.nl.tabdigital.eu/f/105906
As the proposal notes, using hand signals can make meetings run more smoothly and allows everyone to quickly display a response without having to speak out loud. The use of hand signals in meetings will be particularly beneficial for the Reef for two main reasons: there will come a time when we may have meetings that involve 50-60 people; and for online meetings, where rounds can take more time than is perhaps available.
The idea is to become proficient in utilising them as a smaller group now, so as to be better prepared for when they are needed in the future.
The hand signals proposal has been finalised by Team Facilitation. The plan is to slowly introduce them into the plenary meetings until we are familiar enough with them as a group, and also add them to the ‘Plenary meeting manual’.
@els and @mieke - could you have a look at the final revisions. @reef-governance - could have a quick look at the section on voting, to check that it lines up with our other discussions. If there’s no problem with it, I will adjust the voting manual accordingly…
At the Sociocracy for All facilitation training last night, I realised that we hadn’t specified a hand signal for withholding consent during a consent round. It’s a bit confusing if people just don’t do anything, particularly if it’s an online meeting. So I’ve add this function to the ‘I disagree’ hand signal…
in noticed one of the hand signals is not used correctly and creates confussion with the ‘celebrate’ hand signal.
I am talking about ‘I agree’ or ‘sounds good’, one that I think is really an important one, certainly if we’re going to have meetings with larger groups.
=> i would propose to replace it by another hand signal (no suggestion though for now)
I’d also like to talk to @Lee more about the hand gestures that they used during her NVC workshop recently. We always thought that what we came up with was just a starting point, so maybe we can already revisit it. I’d also like to make more effort introducing them to plenaries.
Next Team Facilitation meeting is currently scheduled for 11 July, so maybe we can be prepared to put the next layer of gestures into the manual then…
