August 22
Asked While It Still Matters
People are invited to give their views, but the decision already seems made. The announcement has been drafted and the arrangements are nearly complete. Those doing the actual work are asked whether they have any concerns. They exchange a look. It is difficult to feel like a participant when the only remaining choice is whether to sound cooperative.
Concept Four gives weight to the voices of people carrying responsibility. Its principle of participation asks more than polite consultation after meaningful choices have disappeared. In our own shared work, timing matters. Inviting someone's judgment early enough to affect an outcome treats their experience as useful. We may hear an inconvenient detail or need to change a favored plan. That is part of why we asked. Participation becomes believable when people see that their answer has somewhere real to go.
When I ask for another person's view, what am I still willing to change?
There is time to ask before the arrangements are settled.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Concepts for World Service, Concept IV.