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Our understanding of how the world works was fundamentally altered when the mechanical model of closed, linear systems was replaced with cybernetics and complexity theory. Sociocracy is a governance method that uses these new sciences to design organizations that are as powerful, self-organizing, and self-correcting as the natural world, including the honeybees.
The United States Declaration of Independence asserts that all human beings are created equally and endowed with the unquestionable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In practice, however, these rights exist only for the majority, the rich, or property owners. We the People explains how sociocracy ensures these rights to everyone. Sociocracy shares the values of democracy, but designs more inclusive and efficient organizations. It makes profit-making businesses more profitable, and non-profit organizations more effective. And everyone happier.
The text includes history and theory; essential principles; relationship to traditional management theory; implementation methods; classic readings; examples of bylaws for businesses and nonprofits; short guides for meetings and decison-making; a glossary; bibliography; and index. It also includes photographs, diagrams, charts, and tables. It is a comprehensive handbook for understanding and implementing the sociocratic circle method of organization.
About the author
John Buck is President of GovernanceAlive LLC, an international training and consulting organization headquartered Washington, DC, USA. The firm also offers mediation and meeting facilitation services. John has taught many training workshops on sociocracy and led many implementation projects for a variety of organizations, more recently expanding to include BOSSA nova. He serves on the boards of various other organizations. His research and development is ongoing. For example, he is working with Fujitsu's advanced software lab to develop Weaver, software that helps meetings go better - in-person, online, and asynchronous.
John Buck has extensive management experience with government and corporations, including managing large information technology projects. His clients span the globe and include plastics manufacturers, schools, colleges and universities, long-term care facilities, co-housing groups, NGOs, food producers, and software companies. He holds an MA in Quantitative Sociology from The George Washington University.
