Great questions! I think the key with any process is to reserve the right to "refuse anyone." While this sounds like a dangerous use of power, there is no process that is immune to exceptions. So it is best to assume they will happen.
How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?
One struggle we have had at the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective is people making or not making decisions. If you have one person making decisions, they can get a lot done, but that isn't a collective process. If you have too many people involved in the process then finding a meeting time everyone can make is hard, and when you have them -- nothing gets decided. We haven't figured it out, only that the magic number of people, and the people themselves change as the organization grows.
How do you avoid crummy people?
- One thing we have tried to do is make it a comfortable atmosphere
for everyone. People with questionable intentions will naturally feel unwelcome when surrounded by those with good and pure intentions. We have painted murals on the walls, play happy background music, keep the place well lit, and constantly clean and organize. That is important, just like the people.
- Avoid bike snobs and other insecurities in power. In Salt Lake we
have elderly people, men, women, children, and all races volunteer. Anyone who comes in feels welcome and leaves feeling empowered. The key is that the people that are in charge need to feel comfortable and frequently exercise the response "I don't know, let me look it up or ask someone else." It makes them human. For this reason a mechanically inclined core volunteer learning about bikes is often more approachable than someone who has spent their lives in bike shops and knows "everything." After all, people come for community more so than to get their bike fixed. Those with lots of bike experience are seem to be happier with larger projects when no one is around.
- Avoid decisions in a vacuum. Publish votes and decisions that were
made, so that the people who made them are accountable. You think longer and harder about something if it is going on a permanent record.