Full Circle Associates

Elizabeth Albrycht has a nice article on collaboration. It is written in a business context, but could apply to any non profit/NGO as well. I've pulled out a few snippets. If I wasn't on deadline, I'd have commentary, but if I don't post this now, it won't ever get posted!

CorporatePR: Collaboration Requires ContributionCollaboration Requires Contribution

One of our ten tools for network building is participation/collaboration. I like to think about this in terms of community and the building of social capital. Both the development of communities and social capital requires reciprocity - the willingness to both take AND give -- to contribute.

Before your organization decides to enter the blogosphere in order to enhance its network building efforts, it has to answer this important question: What do we have to offer to the communities we want to join/build?

If your answer is only "information about our company and products" then you need to head back to the drawing board.

She goes on to describe attributes of community, along with a nice quick lit review. Check it out. The four "generally accepted psychological attributes of community" are (from McMillan and Chavis (1986))

* Feelings of membership: Feelings of belonging to, and identifying with, the community;
* Feelings of influence: Feelings of having influence on, and being influenced by, the community;
* Integration and fulfillment of needs: Feelings of being supported by others in the community while also supporting them; and
* Shared emotional connection: Feelings of relationships, shared history, and a “spirit” of community.

Elizabeth points to one of my favorite ideas, reciprocity.

"Generalized reciprocity" is one of the keys for building social capital as well. For our purposes in thinking about contribution, it is clear that we are not simply talking about contributing information. Human emotional connections are also important. This is a difficult hurdle for many corporations, as their representatives are so used to thinking in terms of formal, third-person voice when communicating to their audiences. Be it the website, brochures, press releases, canned elevator speeches, etc., all of these formal tools are not tremendously helpful when it comes to participating in a community.

Finally she lists things groups could offer to the communities they want to join/build?

* Recognition
* Ideas on How to Solve Problems
* Support
* Gratitude: Don't forget to thank people for the contributions they make to you.
* Thoughtful Recommendations/Referrals: Don't hoard information.
* Honesty: Don't lie.
* Clarification: Written communications is always susceptible to misunderstandings, particularly informal communications.

ALSO see Elizabeth's Ten Tools for Network Building

In our focus on network building, we take "content" to be one tool among many. Of course, that begs the question, what are the other tools? Here is a list, not perfect yet, but I think a good start (in no particular order of importance):

* Technology (trackbacks, RSS, tags, etc.)
* Knowledge (who is influential, who is trusted, who is controversial, etc.)
* Online social skills (ability to approach other people in appropriate ways)
* Participation/Collaboration (via comments, trackbacks, email, etc.)
* Reputation/Trust (what you have now, what is developed over time)
* Politics (an opinion or stated position)
* Permeable organizational boundaries
* Time management
* Flexibility (ability to make changes in all of the above as needed)

Good stuff for community builders of any kind.

Categories: community, onlinecommunity