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Together Institute

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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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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.
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Sep 20, 2017
    Paying attention to the community cross-pollinators

    Paying attention to the community cross-pollinators

    Who are the people helping to weave local chapters into a bigger whole?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Aug 2
    The unique motivation of outsiders to run local chapters

    The unique motivation of outsiders to run local chapters

    At Sandbox, our local chapters are run by volunteers from the community that we call “ambassadors”. At some point I started to notice a…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Jul 20

    Community leadership through role modeling?

    In the 1950s, social psychologist Solomon Asch developed a series of foundational experiments around social conformity. One of the famous…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Jun 22
    Gratitude: the most powerful & overlooked energy source in community

    Gratitude: the most powerful & overlooked energy source in community

    A few years ago, in my role as IIR for the Kauffman Foundation, I went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to experience the graduation ceremony of…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Jun 16
    The personal growth dimension of community leadership

    The personal growth dimension of community leadership

    Can I weave transformative communities without transforming myself?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Apr 27
    The rise of Relational Design

    The rise of Relational Design

    What if we designed anything with relationships in mind?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Apr 25
    Applying force in community doesn’t work

    Applying force in community doesn’t work

    And what is leadership without force?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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.
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Mar 29
    Community leadership: are we paying enough attention to member enthusiasm?

    Community leadership: are we paying enough attention to member enthusiasm?

    And when is enthusiasm more important than strategy?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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.
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Feb 20
    Community leadership: how can I uplift the voices of members while still expressing my own vision?

    Community leadership: how can I uplift the voices of members while still expressing my own vision?

    Three years ago I helped co-initiate a community called Wasan, bringing together network builders in philanthropy and non-profits. We had a…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Feb 8
    Communities = human search engines?

    Communities = human search engines?

    How proxy trust allows us to search across strangers
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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?
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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.
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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.
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    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…
    Go to the profile of Fabian Pfortmüller
    Fabian Pfortmüller
    Apr 1, 2021
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