The term "bathtub people" comes from the article Art linked to in the original post: Bathtubs: A Theory of Community Relations


I agree that with a small group that consensus can work well. For example, this is pretty much how things get done by the leadership of our Cub pack; even though I am the section leader, most of the decisions are made by the group using something similar to the consensus model described (though in an informal way ... its just naturally how its worked out).

Just thinking out loud, but perhaps the key with the consensus model is ensuring your are only including the appropriate people at the appropriate times. Back to the example of my Cub pack, it works because we look for consensus within the leadership team, not within the pack as a whole. We solicit feedback and ideas from the kids, but they aren't involved in the final decision making processes.

Also, I think consensus has to be limited to a degree. I could definitely see issues arising if you try to micro manage with it. For example, the group could agree we should do a first aid course and who should run it, but then the group can let that person work out the details and trust them to deliver it.

All that said, I do think its important for the buck to stop somewhere; one person who will ultimately accept responsibility for the actions and decisions of the group. Because of this added responsibility, this person also needs to be granted the ability to set the bounds of what the group does, with consensus being used to work out the details.