316 - Rethinking Power in Group Practice with Ted Rau, Sociocracy For All (Interview Reboot)
“Ideally, there needs to be more conversation about what's good for the whole. And that's, of course, as far away from where we are, especially in this country, as it can be right now.” ~Ted Rau
Sarah explores sociocracy with Ted Rau, discussing models of shared leadership, and what it really takes to bridge the gap between overwhelmed owners and under-resourced clinicians.
Our third cohort of the Authentic Leaders Group starts this spring and it’s got me thinking about systems that need to change. While change may be inevitable, it’s far from easy. That’s especially true in the therapy field.
Our clients and culture are undergoing sweeping evolution and so too must group practice. How do we bridge the gap between employees and owners when both feel overworked and underpaid?
Sociocracy could be the answer.
Ted Rau, PhD., co-founded Sociocracy For All (SoFA), a nonprofit that makes decentralized, consent-based governance accessible to workplaces, organizations, and communities. He knows a lot about how sociocracy works in principle and practice, having become a practitioner of the governance style as a member of an intentional living community. Adopting this structure, however, requires a significant mindset shift.
Sociocracy works best when responsibility is segmented and shared rather than the buck stopping with an owner or board. “We make fundamental decisions in teams or circles, and every circle has their decision-making authority, which we call ‘domain,’” Ted explains. In a practice structure, we might identify domains such as hiring, marketing, administrative systems, etc. Sociocracy allows circles to recalibrate their decisions based on consent versus consensus. In other words, each circle is safe to try things out because there’s room to revisit and improve.
Sociocracy is an invitation to evolution. It offers a framework for equity, efficiency, and transparency. But for this peer system to work inside a group practice, the practice owner must give up their ultimate authority. In contrast, practice members must become newly or more engaged in aspects of the business (i.e., marketing, administrative systems, hiring, etc).
Our society has limited capacity for experiential learning or alternative methods of “earning a living.” Unfortunately, pesky questions of profitability (as traditionally defined) will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
The question is: Are there practice owners out here willing to give up power and profit?
Equally important: Are there staffers ready to take on more significant decision-making duties?
Y’all, I’ll be honest: I cannot fathom how our profession gets from here to there, but I’m committed to the path. I’m also committed to having more of these system-focused, heart-centered conversations. I hope you are, too.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
NARM - The NeuroAffective Relational Model
RECOMMENDED EPISODES
GUEST CONTACT & BIO
Ted Rau is an advocate, trainer, and consultant for self-governance with a focus on sociocracy. Along with Jerry Koch-Gonzalez he co-founded the organization Sociocracy For All. A transgender man and father of five, Ted is the co-author of three books on self-governance, including Many Voices One Song (2018) and Collective Power (2023), and is currently writing on governance and wisdom.
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