Consultant lingo – it’s so common there is even a parody Twitter account called “Shit Facilitators Say,” tweeting out ditties such as, “Tell us about your group process. How did you decide who would write on the flipchart?” High on any list of consultant-isms is always the phrase “Safe Space.” Part of the job of … Read more
What changes when we see community members as agents for their own change? According to Dan Duncan – a faculty member of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute – everything! And what can organizations and enterprises do to nourish and nurture the gifts and abilities of community members? In just 3 minutes, Dan shares how … Read more
A few months ago, I taught three hours of webinars for NTEN on “Building Community through Twitter Chats.” And a funny thing happened during the first session: It wasn’t about twitter chats at all. That’s because building community is not about the technology, but about building community! The same things that will make for a … Read more
Social change advocates talk a lot about engaging conversation, about bringing people together. And yet, attend just one parent-teacher or chamber of commerce meeting where a contentious issue is being addressed, and you’ll know it’s not that easy. Bringing together groups with different opinions may mean only that they have the opportunity to yell at … Read more
Way back in the late 90’s, I was part of a thriving online community that felt like home to those of us who “lived” there. Then, after almost a decade, without consulting any of the community members, the organization that housed that community changed some critical parameters. And within a year, a community that had … Read more