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“Comties”
come alive because people care about one another and because
of the ideas they can develop together. Instead of worrying
about spelling or grammar, they enjoy comments that challenge,
that are reflective or even a bit provocative. Humour and
playfulness are wonderful aids to serious dialogue, because
true insights come at the intersection of the known and unknown,
the expected and the unexpected.
We
are often afraid to ask questions of one another because we
don’t want to reveal what we do not know, and yet the wiser
the person, the more questions he or she will ask. The art
of asking powerful questions is a gift that adds so much to
the Comty.
We
have found that when people are free to be themselves, as
they are in authentic ways; a natural energy develops that
inspires new insights and meaningful work together. As they
say in Hawaii, just “hang loose” and let the thoughts, comments
and questions come from both the heart and the head.
As
the community develops, it will evolve its own set of norms,
values and etiquette. The importance of these cannot be stressed
enough, because trust and openness are essential elements.
Unfortunately, our Industrial Era values cause us to hoard
knowledge, remain suspicious of the other and want to control
things. Too many on-line communities have failed because they
did not invest the time or effort into creating an honest,
open and collaborative environment. No technology can do this
automatically, therefore, the facilitators and mentors (Administrators
and Providers) of a Comty need to invest time and effort in
helping create the norms and values that are essential for
any robust community, big or small.
On
the human side, don’t worry about making mistakes. Of course
you can always edit or delete what you have written (by using
the “archive” option). Don’t try to impress, just be your
real self.
In
natural interaction, it is possible to bring up almost anything
at any point, instead of being bound by a rigid structure.
This is why metalayer has created the Idea Weaver(TM) ™ (Shuttle),
a truly unique capability that allows anyone in the Comty
to initiate a dialogue at most any point.
In
addition, we have found that the most successful online communities
have people who take on important roles. (Note: I am personally
indebted to George Por for many of my insights as to how online
communities live and grow.) They include:
-
Context Givers – They help shape the culture of the Comty
and the context of the discussion, asking powerful questions
that stimulate further reflection about developments in
the business or other organization. They also help evolve
the spirit, values, norms and etiquette of the community.
- Summarizers
– They read through the various comments and offer simple
but important summaries of what has happened to date.
- Practical
People – They play an important role in grounding the
conversations in practical ways.
- Visionaries
– They stretch people out of their boxes, and if they
do it gently, they may make us uncomfortable with our
simplistic worlds.
- The
Networkers - They discover the unexpected connections
between people and places. They have a wonderful skill
in bringing the right people together at just the right
time.
- Keepers
of the Themes – They play an important role in capturing
and organizing key documents or other inputs around important
themes so they can easily be found in the future.
- Court
Jesters – They have fun asking the unexpected, and in
such a way that people smile, and yet see the serious
depth of the point.
- The
Confused – One of the most valuable participants is one
who can say, “Gee, I am confused, can anyone help sort
this out.” The discussions that follow are rich with understanding.
- The
Cynics - Every community needs one or two cynics, because
if we do not learn how to deal with the cynics, our ideas
hardly hold water.
- Other
roles - if we have overlooked a key role, please suggest
it and we will add it.
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