How to start a community?

[Andy Jones]

This is a question that's bugging me professionally. I'm trying to get folks from the learning community here, well, into a community. We have a wiki, we have blogs, we have virtual meeting rooms and a chatroom, we have all the tools... But the question for me is how do we get people started? We don't want to mandate it (it's meant to be driven from the ground up) and I'm certainly not in a position to do that.

I guess the bigger question is how do we persuade people that they're a community and they will benefit if they're involved? Or, to put it another way; how do we engage with those people who aren't or don't want to be engaged?

[paradox66]

You got to give the incitament and knowledge. Like always when it comes to teaching. It is much about engaging people.

I should show them that there is so much gained on when you collaborate. Wikipedia is a good example. Together one can accomplish so much more...

Set up a goal. "Lets prove that it is possible to write a book together about teaching." Then they have a goal and know where they are heading. It becomes much easier than just say. "Hey lets start networking."

[Aaron Sumner]

I like that idea of setting up a goal or project. I've been wanting to show how social networking and collaboration could assist in the grant writing process, but that may be too high-stakes to use as a guinea pig.

[Andy Jones]

I like that idea too. Taking it on (frankly stealing it!) I'm intending to challenge my budding community to come up with a guide to what makes eLearning good for our company. The intention is to use it as a guide for production from then on.

I'll share the results that I can (sanitised because I don't want to be sacked).

Thanks for your responses guys.

[Jay Cross]

People need to identify with the purpose of the community and with one another. They also need a compelling reason to join together. Watch this community. In a couple of days, I'll be working on just this issue.

[TERRY C ELLIOTT]

I am in the middle of the same question. I teach composition and I use tech tools whenever possible to do so. I have two projects going right now in my university department. The first is a weblog for our English majors. The second is a teaching technology blog for English faculty. So how have I gotten people started? Slowly, very slowly. I know the key to making communities work is constant and early vigilance. I couldn't manage that full-time dedication so I am working against the grain by taking things slowly and working to grow the community, but circumstances dictate that approach.

Oh how I want these projects to work out better and to belong to a larger group of folks. For now it hasn't happened like I wanted, but that is not to say it won't. One way I have closed the deal so to speak is to ask people to join on their own terms. I have been turned down a few times, but others have said they are willing to help. Sometimes that has meant that I have to "channel" another person's email or listserv posting, but if that seals the deal, then so be it.

I think each community has its quirks. Mine, for example, disappears like a hidden river every May and bubbles up again in August. I have to learn how to deal with that complexity, perhaps to even accept it as a strength. I guess what I am saying roundabout ways is that you start by trying to answer the problems that your community faces. State the problem and then ask people to help you solve it. If people don't wish to engage that must mean that they are otherwise occupied? So be it. If your problem is big enough and interesting enough, they will come around. I don't want to sound like I have a handle on this question because I am looking for better ways too.

[jdblack]

I am trying to do just this where I work. I have started an online community to see how teachers can use web 2.0 tools in our classrooms with students. I have invited people via email who I thought might be interested; got about a 75% response rate, meaning that they went and registered as users at the blog. I was really optimistic at that point but have failed to really engage only but two registered individuals beyond that point (to contribute or comment). I know that I picked a bad time of year to start this, but I'm committed to forging ahead and seeing where I can take it over the summer. I will continue to contribute and keep my enthusiasm high, both in the written medium and when talking to others about joining in. It's been helpful to read some of the comments here, and to realize that it takes time. In reality I'm asking people to not only communicate but to step out of their comfort zone and use technology to do just that. Additionally, I really think that enthusiasm is crucial to building momentum, and that people have to get something out of being a part of the community, whether that's information or a sense of validation as a person/professional. To those of us who understand the huge untapped potential of learning communities, it seems like a no-brainer to join in and become a part, but to someone who doesn't see the bigger picture or who may be technologically challenged, it may not seem worth the angst. I also think that those who are not afraid of change will be more likely to join in. People who want to be lone rangers can be lone rangers, but it really isn't going to keep that person current, let alone ahead of the game.

[Matt Lisle]

I've had similar questions at my work (hospital system)... most folks at my organization don't believe nurses and clinicians would be willing to join in on a social network, comment on a blog, contribute to a wiki, etc

However, I've been using a discussion forum (we call it "the Hotline") that has been in place at our organization for the past few years as proof that it could happen. Right now, the Hotline is mostly being used a complaint forum by employees (i.e. "why can't the fries in the cafeteria be crispier?" or "when are we going to get more parking?")... However, it's being used extensively by nurses.

If they are willing to log in and post to the general discussion forum, who's to say that they wouldn't be willing to post on a blog about patient care? They're obviously not that techno-phobic...

That's my angle, anyways... we'll see how it works.

[Helen Nicol]

Also involved in the health, but from the management end, I have a community of Project Managers taking part in my research project on blogging. I'm having a hell of time getting them to post, they see the value of an online community, but lack the confidence (or sometimes the time) to actually post, but love to read what others have written. There are a lot of lurkers (or legitimate peripheral participators :-) Growing the community is a problem though. I dont think it's that people dont see the value, just that they have such a fear of being seen to be incompetent.

[Gillian Martin Mehers]

This is a very good question; my team runs a network of 500 education/communication professionals at my organization and we have been looking into how to re-energize it as a community with a relationship mentality ("I like these people and want to be a part of their community"), rather than a network where each individual is in a transaction mentality ("how much do I get and how much do I have to give to be a member - at what point do I get out"). Within this network we want to develop a set of thematic communities of practice. I have spent some hours tonight reading the posts on communities of practice on the anecdote blog: (http://www.anecdote.com.au/archives/communities_of_practice/) and have found some things that I am going to try that might also be interesting to consider.

One is, to use the "I am a..." test to see if the community members' profiles fit together; if people can fill in that blank similarly and it is the subject of the community, then apparently there will be an affinity in the group that will give it internal momentum. I am actually testing that now with an internal group of facilitation trainees for whom we have developed a wiki and are using our blog for reflection - we have started to call them Facilitators (filling in the "I am a ..." on their behalf and that seems to be working, they are starting to engage as a group.) Another tip given to jump-start a community was to focus on the "practice" part, rather than theory, conjecture or opinion (I am interpreting this a bit). The other two tips that stood out were to ask the community's members what they wanted to do as a community (getting them to answer questions that help focus the community); and to get members to ask questions in return in the community with a no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question policy.

I guess I would also ask you back a question to your final question above - what would be the purpose of engaging pepole who don't want to be engaged? I think the quality of the conversation might be higher with a smaller group of opt-in people who are getting alot from the community, versus a larger number of people who have been "joined" into the group by others and spend most of their time as lurkers. Don't you think? If some of those people in the opt-in community are "aggregators" then you will still benefit from the dark voices to balance things out.

[Andy Jones]

Gillian, you're right - what is the purpose (or point) or trying to engage people that don't want to be engaged! If they don't want to be there, they'll be at best bored and at worst destructive. I recently saw a Presentation on community building and how to weed out "bad" influences by the guys that ran the subversion and apache open source projects. Take a look, it's interesting reading: http://www.red-bean.com/dav/presentations/PoisonousPeople.pdf

Slightly different take on what we're talking about but I think the principles are sound.

Since I posted the original question I've learnt a lot about what's sensible to do and what's not so sensible to do. (Jay - your community is already helping!!!) The key points I've taken are simply that you can't force people into a community, they have to want to be there. You have to try and make the community attractive ("I like these people..") and that's what I'll be focusing on.

[Ray Sims]

Hi All,

I don't think you ever "persuade" somebody that they are part of a community, rather the identification of being part of a community is something that each individual comes to in their own way and time.

Some things you can however do to move things along...

1) Model knowledge sharing and service yourself. What do you have to give to what you see as the community? Keep giving in the way you'd like others to give (e.g. contributions to the wiki, blogging, etc.)

2) As others have said, help the emerging community find their shared purpose, their reason to be. What is the membership or potential membership looking for get help with personally (e.g. professional development) or collectively (e.g. projects that aren't getting accomplished in the formal organizational structure)? If there is no reason to be, there will be no coming together. Ask people what they would like to give and get.

3) Assist people in really getting to know each other. The identification with the community in-part comes with the identification and bonding with the individuals one-to-one with each other. If you have the luxury of being in the same physical location, consider some ice-breaking social activities that involve if at all possible food and drink. Break bread together. If not in physical space, there are still opportunities to do achieve same. In my former day-job we had an outstanding people manager of community managers and she used to for her own time have virtual baby-showers, birthday parties, summer and year-end holiday parties, etc. If you don't already, share photos -- not just head-shots in a profile, but ones of the kids, the holidays, etc.

4) One-on-one nurture contributors, use the 'back-channel' to encourage the tips of contributions you'd like to see. Make requests, call in favors, cajole. Then recognize the contributions when they occur. Thank people, in public or private as appropriate to them and your community culture.

5) Hold periodic knowledge-sharing events, e.g. debriefs from conferences, from books read, bring in an outside speaker, etc.

6) Consider forming a core-team of the most committed...three to six or so (depending on your total aspired community size) that can become the nucleus to build the identification at that level and then 'share the love'.

7) Tap into the experts. As Gillian mentioned, Shawn Callahan and the rest of the crew at Anecdote are super. Others that I have gained much from include the now classic book "Cultivating Communities of Practice," by Wenger McDermott and Snyder; "Leveraging Communities of Practice for Strategic Advantage," by Saint-Onge and Wallace; and "Learning to Fly," by Collison and Parcell. There may be other more recent ones as good...these are the ones I cut-my-teeth in community advocacy with, especially the first. There also communities of practice just around communities. For example, some in my old team were involved with http://www.cpsquare.org/

Ray

[Dominic Atkinson]

Thanks Ray, some good practical ideas and especially four and six are pertinent for me. Thanks for sharing.