The most powerful & overlooked energy source in community? Gratitude
The most powerful & overlooked energy source in community? Gratitude
A few years ago, in my role as IIR for the Kauffman Foundation, I went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to experience the graduation ceremony of…
The personal growth dimension of community leadership
The personal growth dimension of community leadership
Can I weave transformative communities without transforming myself?
“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…
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…
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…
The rise of Relational Design
The rise of Relational Design
What if we designed anything with relationships in mind?
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?
Applying force in community doesn’t work
Applying force in community doesn’t work
Yet subtle forms show up nevertheless. Why is that?
“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.
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?
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?
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
Communities = human search engines?
Communities = human search engines?
How proxy trust allows us to search across strangers
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?
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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…