Who decides who decides? How to start a group so everyone can have a voice

So many groups form. And so many groups fade. What distinguishes those groups that grow and flourish from those that fade and fail? The success factors are well-studied, even though the lessons learned hardly make it into the design of those who start groups. That makes sense -- groups form because people feel the urgency for change in an area of their attention, not because they are experts in how to start a group. With intentional processes, we can establish an inclusive group culture early on to grow and flourish without governance troubles getting in the way - keeping our eyes on our shared purpose. This book offers a step-by-step process of how to start a self-managed group in three meetings.

The processes in this book are based on tools and principles from sociocracy, a consent-based, decentralized governance system that supports every voice to be considered and valued, while allowing groups to work efficiently towards the shared purpose.

Ted is an advocate, trainer and consultant for self-governance. His main focus is sociocracy. After his PhD in linguistics and work in Academia, he co-founded the membership organization Sociocracy For All in 2016. Ted spends his days consulting with mission-driven organizations, teaching and deeply immersed in the work as a member within Sociocracy For All. Ted has 5 children who are now teens and young adults. A German citizen, he lives between Massachusetts and Tübingen. He is (co)-author of four books on self-governance, Many Voices One Song (2018), Who Decides Who Decides (2021), Collective Power (2023), and From Here To There (2025). He is working on a book on the interface between governance, the deep code of modernity, and wisdom.