Building a community in 11 steps – Stranded Europeans
Posted: April 22nd, 2010 | Author: Jasper Visser | Filed under: People | Tags: community, connections, energy, experience, lessons, mw2010, practice, tips | View Comments
Everybody’s talking about community building these days. Often we forget how easy it is (can be) and how frequently it happens. A volcano, some stranded Europeans and Denver. This is how you build a community:
- Get a bunch of people together with more or less similar values.
E.g. museum professionals working on participation. - Urge them to do something, change their status quo.
E.g. by having a volcano erupt and cause huge ash clouds. - Make them understand that they’re involved in the new situation.
E.g. by cancelling their flights home. - Have a community leader/manager take the lead in collaborative action.
E.g. Jennifer Trant who starts a system to find those stranded lodging and something to do. - Find some early adopters and encourage them to participate and take group action.
E.g. by setting the example yourself and offering your lodging. - Give the community the freedom to develop by offering tools, not rules.
E.g. pen and paper, a common media channel and enthusiasm. - Put emphasis on the positive behaviour of individuals in the community.
E.g. by talking to them or retweeting their initiatives. - Think beyond social media.
E.g. by hosting unconference sessions, meetups and drinks. Or by putting up a pen and paper registration system (see photos). - Have an open attitude to newcomers.
E.g. by stressing how everybody is in the same situation. - Ensure and celebrate tangible outcomes within the community.
E.g. by blogging about their events and applauding the success of individuals reaching home. - Take action over time to reinforce the community.
E.g. by hosting a little event at next year’s conference for those affected by the volcano.
Okay. Not all communities are built this fast. And not all of the above steps will be easy to take. However, as I’ve seen it happen at MW2010, I’ve seen it happen many a times. Step 1-3 are the most important. Step 4-10 are mostly important when you want the community to work towards your goals. Step 11 is merely cool.
Thanks to all stranded Europeans and helpful Americans after MW2010. Did I miss any steps? Please, add them!
This goes with number 9, but I think it’s really worth a point highlighting non-exclusivity and having an open attitude to all. A lot of the positive comments came from those who hadn’t been stranded (and sometimes not even connected with museums), so whilst the beating heart of the community was in Denver, the network extended far and wide.
Tools not rules – love it!
Thanks Hugh, you’ve definitely got a point there! Non-exclusivity and an open attitude made the community flourish.
And without the generous support of all those who weren’t stranded, a lot of us wouldn’t have had such a great time in Denver/the USA. Again, thanks to you all!
Nice Jasper – reinforcing the community (11.) may also happen via collaborations on papers for mw2011, with ideas derived from our stranded Europeans unconferences! Any ideas?!
Hi Davydd, thanks! Well, I’m really looking forward to Mia’s questionnaire on organisational structure. That one promises an interesting paper.
Also, I’ll be taking our ideas about location-based mobile games for the heritage sector another step next week within my organisation and I’m hoping to do a nice project based on that. There might be a paper in that too.
How about you?
Yep looking forward to organisational structure as well, I found our discussion in Appaloosa Grill most insightful! Though you seemed preoccupied with your burning mouth?! Anyway, I’d like to get the statistics from that study, hopefully there’ll be enough surveys completed.
Will you be keeping your blog updated on your mobile games in heritage project(s)? I’ll be interested in any developments…
The food _was_ spicy indeed. I still feel it.
I’ll be blogging regularly about issues related to the building of our museum. Especially about subjects like mobile, the semantic web, etc. Stay tuned!
Hi Davydd, thanks! Well, I’m really looking forward to Mia’s questionnaire on organisational structure. That one promises an interesting paper.
Also, I’ll be taking our ideas about location-based mobile games for the heritage sector another step next week within my organisation and I’m hoping to do a nice project based on that. There might be a paper in that too.
How about you?
[...] to make the most of it, organising further unconferences, meals and frisbee sessions as well as simply banding together and working in the same [...]
Thanks Hugh, you’ve definitely got a point there! Non-exclusivity and an open attitude made the community flourish.
And without the generous support of all those who weren’t stranded, a lot of us wouldn’t have had such a great time in Denver/the USA. Again, thanks to you all!