People often make the assumption that a participative architecture means that decisions are made by consensus. This is not true. Consensus decision-making has its place, but it is only one option. I have witnessed many examples of organizations ending up in paralysis when they attempted to make all of their decisions through consensus. Nothing seemed to get done, as people spent far too much of their time consulting with one another so that consensus could be reached. In such situations, meetings would drag out and the result of the decision-making was often one of mediocrity instead of excellence. A series of mediocre decisions shows up as a mediocre organization. Consensus decision-making, as it is frequently done, exhausts people so that they finally compromise out of their 'giving up'. Often, dissenting voices are unwelcome and there is a 'political correctness' about what to say, what to do, and what to not do.

Within a participative architecture, the organization must achieve clarity about individual roles, responsibilities, accountabilities, results AND clarity about organizational 'givens'. Givens that clearly identify what the boundary for actions/decisions is for the organization and simultaneously identify clearly where the freedom is for individuals, within the scope of their individual jobs, to use their creativity, innovation and decision-making. Within this clarity, a great deal of decision making can be done unilaterally as individuals are carrying out their job functions because the clarity also results in a great deal of self management taking place in the organization.

Within a participative architecture, there is also clarity about when to consult with others prior to making a decision and when the need is for consensus decision making. Our friend Chris Weaver, director of an organization that has chosen to work as a Conscious Open Space Organization, has offered us his approach to consensus decision-making. It is an excellent process that creates the conditions for all voices to be heard and for dissenting opinions to be valued. His process also honors the Whole Person including the use of intuition within the process. More on Chris' approach 'Five to Fold'.

We are very, very excited to announce the launch of our new website www.dalarinternational.com. Please visit us there soon to find out about us, our services, our workshops, and about the Genuine Contact™ program. I thank our webdesigner Amy Lenzo and production assistant Rachel Assuncao for their wonderful work on the site and for having such a grace filled process in how we worked together. The process was joy filled and the result speaks for itself. I recommend both of their services to you and I recommend the type of process that we did in getting the site just right.

Prior to working on the project, we three took the time to work out a State of Grace Document with each other. With our intentions set about staying in a state of grace with one another, I communicated what I had in mind, Amy made sure that the design and structure beautifully reflected our message, and Rachel took the lead on co-coordinating and editing the content, and proofreading. We three had a number of conference calls and I found them a joy, supplementing the many emails we did with a stronger personal contact. In the past, I have had great difficulty communicating what I wanted in websites and other productions. What happened with three of us involved was that Rachel often translated what I really meant ¡Kin a way that Amy could understand. Having three of us involved, each with different strengths and gifts, created a marvelous synergy.

We are currently working on a Genuine Contact™ Community website, the new edition of our workbooks, and other multi-media resources. If you have completed one or more Genuine Contact™ workshops and would like to be listed as a Genuine Contact™ Professional available for work in these processes, please fill out this form and submit it to Rachel Assuncao for inclusion. Stay tuned for the official launch of these new resources.

We are now taking registrations for the September 28^th/29^th international conference for professionals in the Genuine Contact™ program. This conference is for anyone who has taken a workshop in any part of the program and is a forum for ongoing professional and personnel development through mentoring each other from the wealth of wisdom we collectively bring. The format of the conference is Open Space Technology. This format was chosen to create maximum opportunity for tapping into our collective wisdom. This conference is in alliance with the International Alliance for Mentoring. Fee is $100US Location is Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Click here for additional information about this conference and other professional development opportunities.

Our community of professionals in the Genuine Contact™ program offers ongoing professional development in this pioneering work of our holistic approach, through mentoring circles that meet from time to time throughout the year in various locations. These mentoring circles are part of the alliance of the International Alliance for Mentoring(IAM). Contact persons for these mentoring circles include Thomas Herrmann (Sweden), Matthias zur Bonsen (Germany), Helen Patterson (New Zealand), Marianne Gerber (Switzerland), Isabella Klein (Austria), Terry Gibson (UK), Michelle Cooper (Canada), Karen Tax (eastern USA). To connect with one of these mentoring circles, please contact us and we will connect you with the right person for your area.

The Harmony Project is also a project of the International Alliance for Mentoring. Anyone can join the Harmony Project at any time. Participants 'hold space for opportunities for harmony on this planet'. The Harmony project is symbolized with a circle of stones here at Blair Cee farm in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. This March 21^st will again see an international gathering of participants at the circle, restating their commitment to holding space for harmony in the world. This gathering will also have an added responsibility this year—the stone circle is being moved from its present location, where it is sinking into the earth to become one with it, to a more prominent location where it can continue its work as a visible reminder to us. Anyone can join us at 5:00 pm EST by joining their energy with ours from their own location. To obtain a seed stone from our circle, to start your own circle with, contact us with your request. Click here for more information about the Harmony Project.

In every issue, we are featuring one drawing from our Genuine Contact™ program workshops by Reinhard Kuchenmueller, Visuelle Protokolle, Munich Germany. Reinhard did these drawings when he attended our workshops, drawing quickly and reflecting the learnings with an accuracy and an eye that delighted other participants. Reinhard is available to groups as a visual facilitator trained in the Genuine Contact™ Program. For more info about him and his work go to www.visuelle-protokolle.de. Click on the image for an enlarged version of the artwork.

Tai Chi is integral for maintaining individual health and balance at its optimal level. The form of Tai Chi that we work with daily is called YDAN and takes about twenty minutes every morning to perform the nineteen postures. They are easy to learn and easy to do. YDAN is specifically designed, not only to stimulate the flow of Chi (life force energy), but also to stimulate the health of every organ and every joint in the body, and to align the spine. Doing daily YDAN's is part of what keeps my energy at a wonderful steady and productive high. To order a videotape to learn how to do YDAN, go to www.sensiblehealth.com.