How I Failed To Create A Responsive Conference
(And How We’ll Improve in 2017)
In February 2016 I put on my first Responsive un-conference. The night before that event, impressed by the enthusiasm of our attendees, I had the idea to run the 1st Annual Responsive Conference.
From February until August 2016 I hosted or helped to organize five un-conference in the United States and around the world. (For more on the Un-conference format, take a look through our Public Google Drive.) Though I did most of the recruiting, each event agenda was set by the attendees, making the un-conferences largely self-organized. In producing the 1st Annual Responsive Conference, my objective was to create a curated experience that was largely determined by the people who produced and attended the conference.
In this, I failed.
I share this failure in an effort to help others who run events or desire elements of self-organization, and to share how I am thinking about the 2nd Annual Responsive Conference, which will take place in September 2017. (Stay up to date: join our newsletter!)
Diversity
It was important to me not to have a team made up entirely of straight white men (me) but to have a mix of genders, ethnicities, perspectives, and backgrounds.
One of the reasons for a more diverse workforce is that diversity of perspectives builds sustainability and resilience within the organization. The downside is that when people have differing perspectives, it can take longer for things to get accomplished, especially in the early stages of an organization. This was the case for us.
Team
I had two different teams working to create the Responsive Conference: production, and those supporting curation and experience design.
The production team worked on outreach, print and digital marketing, venue logistics, website, copywriting, speaker follow-up, and more. I’m grateful to the group I had the pleasure of working alongside, and all that we accomplished. That said, a very real challenge was that I could not afford to hire people already experienced with Responsive.org. My teammates were expert in their domains, but lacked exposure to many of our specific themes. I could have done much more to invest in their education, which would likely have helped us to function more effectively.
The curation team was not financially compensated for their involvement, donating their time in exchange for attendance and participation. Coordinating time across my curation staff took a lot of effort. I was never able to facilitate monthly or bi-monthly meetings and make introductions across these people, relying instead individual calls with each person.
Thus, I was the biggest bottleneck across all of the teams. Looking back, I’m amazed at how much I took on. Had I delegated more effectively, and emphasized the cohesion of the production and curation teams, we would have accomplished, and enjoyed ourselves, more.
Money
The Responsive Conference had a limited budget, and as with many events, I did not know the final numbers until well after the event. If you are curious, please browse our 2016 conference budget. Having raised almost $50,000, and personally promised the event to each of our backers and presenters, I was the most invested in the Response Conference. I was responsible for the bottom line of the organization and had the most to lose. My team would get paid even if the event flopped. I offered revenue-share to each of my collaborators, but they were forced by circumstances to opt for getting paid during production, rather than against a speculative payout at the end.
Leadership
Throughout the production of the 1st Annual Responsive Conference, I wanted to be a member of the team, rather than the “leader,” or worse still “the boss.” This desire interfered with establishing clear communication strategies, holding regular all-hands, and conducting business in a way that supported my people and the production of our event.
In early September, out of the realization that the event could fail, I became more dictatorial. I made executive decisions, and held the team accountable. One afternoon, I had several calls with vendors who had failed to deliver equipment to the venue. Krista Schnell, who was responsible for those relationships, was a bit shocked at how I strong-arm vendors into getting my way.
I tried to mentor and support the development of my people, even then. And with only 3 weeks until the event time was essential, and I did not do as much as I might have 3 months earlier. In those final weeks I came to see that my job was leadership, and always had been. Not just with the teams I had formed, and for whom I was ultimately responsible, but for the community we were building.
Of everything I learned directing the 1st Annual Responsive Conference — speaking with more than 2000 people, leading a team of 10 people, and bringing together 250 attendees for two days in September — it is the importance of leadership, even in the midst of self-organization, that I’ll take forward.
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This is the 1st installment in a series about Responsive Organizations and the 2nd Annual Responsive Conference, which will take place in September 2017.
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