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Why I stopped trying to engage passive community members — the 3 circles model.
Why I stopped trying to engage passive community members — the 3 circles model.
So many community weavers struggle with trying to activate the passive parts of their community. That can be a frustrating and exhausting…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Dec 15, 2021
Co-creation is crucial. But most communities still fall and rise with the leadership of a few.
Co-creation is crucial. But most communities still fall and rise with the leadership of a few.
And how that natural flow can be a relief.
Fabian Pfortmüller
Jan 21
What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter
What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter
While shopping for groceries a few weeks ago, I picked up a pack of salad and flipped it around to learn about its origin. Immediately…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Sep 20, 2017
The personal growth dimension of community leadership
The personal growth dimension of community leadership
Can I weave transformative communities without transforming myself?
Fabian Pfortmüller
May 18
“Community is like a muscle that grows when you practice together”
“Community is like a muscle that grows when you practice together”
Whenever we start working with a new group, we usually introduce the practice of a “check-in” at the beginning of each call, and a…
Fabian Pfortmüller
May 12
How do we collaborate across different networks and organizations in times of crisis?
How do we collaborate across different networks and organizations in times of crisis?
When the war in Ukraine started we saw how many organizations and networks were drowning with incoming requests for help. At the same time…
Fabian Pfortmüller
May 5
The power of groups that are both local and global
The power of groups that are both local and global
I’m tired of engaging in global, virtual-first communities. I crave real, in-person human interaction. And yet, I also wish that my local…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 27
The rise of Relational Design
The rise of Relational Design
What if we designed anything with relationships in mind?
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 26
Weaving communities from the inside-out or from the outside-in?
Weaving communities from the inside-out or from the outside-in?
And what can we learn from the conversion mindset?
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 25
Applying force in community doesn’t work
Applying force in community doesn’t work
Yet subtle forms show up nevertheless. Why is that?
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 22
“You never know when you need relationships, but when you do, you need them fast”
“You never know when you need relationships, but when you do, you need them fast”
Communities as an investment for emergent collaborations in the future.
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 4
Do we undervalue the role of personal interest in purpose-driven communities?
Do we undervalue the role of personal interest in purpose-driven communities?
And at what cost?
Fabian Pfortmüller
Mar 29
Community leadership: is member enthusiasm more important than strategy?
Community leadership: is member enthusiasm more important than strategy?
I’m currently in India and recently sat in on a meeting of a local community that comes together to transform their city. At the gathering…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Feb 23
The limitations of community as a vehicle to solve problems together
The limitations of community as a vehicle to solve problems together
“Life isn’t a problem to be solved, but a gift to be explored” — Roohi Radparvar.
Fabian Pfortmüller
Feb 20
Community leadership: What’s the role of my own motivations & opinions?
Community leadership: What’s the role of my own motivations & opinions?
And how come I find it easier to uplift the voices of members rather than speaking my own truth?
Fabian Pfortmüller
Feb 18
Community leadership: How transparency & vulnerability are super-powers, but scary to act upon.
Community leadership: How transparency & vulnerability are super-powers, but scary to act upon.
Like so many groups, we struggled at Sandbox with finding a sustainable revenue model and our financial situation was often shaky. Among…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Feb 16
What does it mean to build community at the speed of trust?
What does it mean to build community at the speed of trust?
I’m often skeptical when organizations tell me how fast they are hoping to “build” a community. 200 people the first year, 1000 people the…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Feb 11
Cyclical re-commitment: The importance of allowing community members to choose their roles…
Cyclical re-commitment: The importance of allowing community members to choose their roles…
In recent posts we have explored the same idea from different angles: The lives of community members are highly fluid and as a result their…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Feb 8
Communities = human search engines?
Communities = human search engines?
How proxy trust allows us to search across strangers
Fabian Pfortmüller
Jan 31
Guilt & community engagement
Guilt & community engagement
Why do so many community members feel guilty about not showing up enough? And how do we design a guilt-free environment?
Fabian Pfortmüller
Jan 27
Community principle: Weaving from the inside out
Community principle: Weaving from the inside out
Healthy communities need a center of gravity with dense and trusted relationships. Otherwise they are hollow and unsustainable.
Fabian Pfortmüller
Jan 14
Gathering ≠ Community
Gathering ≠ Community
Why do we confuse gatherings and community so often? How are they different and what should we consider if we want to turn a gathering into…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Jan 11
What’s possible here & who cares? A powerful question for any community
What’s possible here & who cares? A powerful question for any community
Inspired by Meg Wheatley, I found this to be one of the most powerful questions a community can ask. Here is why.
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 21, 2021
10 Principles for Healthy Communities by Meg Wheatley
10 Principles for Healthy Communities by Meg Wheatley
One of the main questions we keep coming back to in our work is: what makes a community healthy? What allows a community to thrive in the…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Apr 1, 2021
Building trust in society, one tea at a time. Community profile: Tea With Strangers
Building trust in society, one tea at a time. Community profile: Tea With Strangers
Last summer I was sitting with Ankit Shah in a cafe in San Francisco. A while into our conversation a stranger, sharing a table with us…
Fabian Pfortmüller
Jun 17, 2019
There are so many amazing community builders in this world … who can’t make a living being a…
There are so many amazing community builders in this world … who can’t make a living being a…
Our work with the Community Canvas has allowed me to see the state of “community building” from a bird’s eye view. Through the Canvas and…
Fabian Pfortmüller
May 28, 2019
Communities: a space to be heard and seen?
Communities: a space to be heard and seen?
Over the last two weeks I participated in several community retreats. At all of these gatherings the discussion circles with the full group…
Fabian Pfortmüller
May 24, 2019
Powerful community ritual: Canadian engineers wear an iron ring
Powerful community ritual: Canadian engineers wear an iron ring
A few weeks ago I was part of an inspired dinner conversation where one of the guests told us that many Canadian engineers — like himself —…
Fabian Pfortmüller
May 7, 2019
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