Why We Completely Stopped Using the Word “Member” at the Fito Network
This piece was co-written by Fito co-creators Brendon Johnson and Yusra Akthar
In our networks and communities, we often use the word “member” to help people understand their place and commitment in a network.
Membership can be helpful as a frame, helping people feel a “part” of something, while also having a formal “opt-in” to join.
Yet what we’ve found is that using the word member can actually disincentivize engagement, and create a sense of exclusion.
This is why, over the past months, at the Fito Network we have worked painstakingly to cut the word “member” out of all our documents and communications.
We’ve all seen it — we sign up to be a network member but then don’t really commit or engage.
Or, the opposite happens. We join, with great enthusiasm and energy. We put in our energy and time, but then other members don’t show up in the same way.
In both situations it can be frustrating for all involved. It can lead to a lack of commitment and accountability to peers.
In this fast-paced and global world, we are all members of many different groups. Often, it is not really clear what membership actually entails.
One challenge, perhaps, is that while the term is broad, common and expansive, it is not very inspiring or original. You can be a member of a team, club, organization or even a library.
This 2022 conversation on boundaries in networks really inspired us to think differently about what can happen when you eliminate such arbitrary lines of membership. It demonstrated how through doing so, you can actually increase engagement and sense of co-ownership.
It also taught us that membership boundaries can foster exclusion, creating a sense of being “in” or “out”. For those who want to engage but can’t find a formal way in (sometimes just the community manager just doesn’t have the time or processes to invite them!), they can end up feeling like an outsider and lose motivation to engage.
In a network, unlike an organization, we cannot “force” engagement — people have the freedom to self-select. But without clear invitations, pathways, and activities to engage with, people often don’t “see” what’s in it for themselves, or don’t “know” what and how they want to engage.
At the Fito Network, we have thought carefully about what the word “member” really means. To us, it means subscribing to shared values, committing to our own self-discovery, and being accountable and respectful to others who are engaging. It also means taking ownership and collective leadership.
We have found that rather than defining membership levels (which can sometimes feel quite formal and restrictive), it is instead helpful to give clear options for how people want to engage — so they can be intentional about what they give in, and get out of, a network.
Inspired by the Together Institute’s 3 circles model and the GreaterThan Institute’s levels of involvement, we carefully designed diverse options so each person can engage in a way that fits their interests, needs, and capacity.
We came up with 3 levels that give people options, and room to engage:
- Passengers: You’re along for the ride! To touch the surface, mingle with others, and see where we’re going.
- Deep-divers: You want to go deep! Through relationships, collective experimentation, and self-discovery.
- Crew member: You can help steer the ship! You believe in the mission — and have a bit more time to give — and want to read the map together and decide where to go next.
This allows people to engage both at a low level — where they can connect occasionally to learn, listen, and develop light-touch relationships — and at a a deeper level, where they choose to be accountable to each other through committing to showing up, and exploring lines of meaningful relationships.
Each level outlines specifically what you give in — and what you get in return — for choosing such engagement. You can see it all outlined here.
We also find that using metaphors — which are powerful ways of understanding rather complex ideas — helps people grasp more quickly and easily what we’re trying to convey. It also adds in some fun, which is always welcome!
In the end, we’re finding it’s not so straightforward. Often, people are unsure if they want to “dive deep”, but don’t quite feel like a “passenger”. These nuances require a significant amount of welcoming and invitation — another process we’re working on intricately and will share more about soon!
We’ll also say we’re not sure this is right. Some people have questioned the need for any types of levels. But this is where we landed for the moment. We’d love to hear from you. Have you experimented with different membership levels and pathways? What have you found works?
