Community Can Be SO Powerful

August 24, 2009 · Comments

Community is Gold

Once, at an event in late 2005, the CEO of a very up-and-coming company met me at a conference. I shook his hand and told him how much I loved his company, and how his efforts had really changed the way I looked at the tech space, and media making in general. He sniffed, said thanks, and asked what I do. I didn’t have a great answer at the time, and he sniffed again, and moved on, not that interested in me. I remember how much it bothered me, that I’d given him a very warm compliment and that he responded coldly. (This could happen online without either of us knowing it, but in this case, it was face to face, and he could’ve been a lot more polite.)

Two years later, his company was sold for pennies on the dollar and I was deep into my own career. He knew my name by now, knew what I represented, and found himself needing my support for a project that was important to him. I smiled briefly at the request, and then, I did what I would always do: I offered to help.

This one can’t be faked. This one isn’t something that many companies can pull off. This whole idea, that communities are powerful, either is or isn’t at the core of your belief system. And I know within a few sentences of talking community with people what side of the fence they’re on. Some see “community” as synonymous with “group I can milk for my profits.” I know about you, too.

But oh, the people who live for community, the ones who know that the human-shaped web is much more powerful in the longer run than any technology out there today, those are the ones to watch. If you run across someone who feels that strongly about community, and who knows what to do with those feelings (because remember: execution is everything), make friends, build a relationship at once, and work forward into what you can do together.

Community is at the very core of everything I’ve done successfully since I started. Every time I find a way to involve a circle and then grow that circle, I learn another way that people can win over systems. I learn of other currencies of exchange (like bartering) that convey with them much more than just a simple transaction (what’s the difference between doing a favor vs paying for a service?).

And community is also not a lot of things. It’s not static. It’s not single-minded. It’s not an unending resource. It’s not self-sustaining. It’s not orderly.

Think about this. Decide whether your projects and your goals and your worldview revolve around community (or more realistically, many communities) and then whether you understand how to work with that force for your own goals and aspirations. Is community part of your vocabulary? Is it in your blood? And how will you interact with the systems and forces that make a community?

Oh, and thank you for being part of this community. It matters to me. YOU matter to me.

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  • AmberNaslund
    What you know, Chris, and what people like you are passionately demonstrating: community isn't created. It's not built, or constructed, or contrived. Community is not synonymous with Twitter, or social media, or audience, or merely a collection of people or customers.

    Community is earned. Through contribution, participation, cultivation, and investment. The only way to truly "have" community is to be part of it, and be as invested in the richness of that community as the people you so hope to have as part of it.

    More and more, I wonder if it's something you can teach. I'm beginning (?) to believe that the mindset behind community is innate, and those that believe in it truly will find paths to foster it well because they are committed to the ideals (and the preservation of them) in the first place.

    Can you truly show someone the value and potential in human connection if they don't get it fundamentally? If "community" represents a means to you rather than an end, I'm not at all sure that you can ever really be rehabilitated.
  • kat brogan
    i believe people can change and switch views
    there are always people changing their lenses
    if not
    this whole social media "community" is going to get pretty incestuous pretty fast

    i'm sure there are things that you all don't get fundamentally
    if someone said you were incapable of change
    i bet that wouldn't rest well
  • AmberNaslund
    You know, Kat, that's actually a very fair statement.

    It's hard sometimes to see people with their "business" hat on that have their eels dug in so deeply. It makes me feel that some mindset are so rigid that they just can't be budged.

    And it's probably jugdmental for me to think that the way I feel about community isn't something that can be learned. So here's my question.

    Where is the line between leading a horse to water and trying too hard to make them drink? Is there such a thing as "will never get it"? I suppose I'm trying to learn where effort and time is best spent. Surely it's not preaching to the incestuous converted. But neither will everyone be open to it.

    The potential for change is something I've been thinking a lot about and clearly I'm a bit frustrated. Can you tell? :)
  • AmberNaslund
    Oh the other thing - the difference between "can't" get it and those that don't want to try. I suppose that's the rub. I believe in the capability of change, but I think you have to be open to it in the first place.
  • I think you have to be open and ready. Your time may not be mine. There has to be trust and a sense of belonging. There is nothing created overnight. Community is complex but never black and white. Outside the realm of social media communities have existed since the beginning of time. What attracts me the most to socil media in fact is the possibilities of interconnection and community building. I personally think that the world will be changed greatly.
    Some of the problems I see with the medium is the inability to look someone in the eye. In spit e of the fact our guard is down a lot quicker than when we are sitting on a train together, we candrop someone off very rapidly without a thought.
    The human side of compassion for goof ups or wrong choices etc is very shallow at times on line.
  • "If "community" represents a means to you rather than an end, I'm not at all sure that you can ever really be rehabilitated" is one of the most resonating things I've read of late. Thank you.
  • More often than not people first ask what they can get rather than what they can give and most of the time the essence of a true community fades by this thought. One might ignore you because you are not that beneficial, that's pretty mean. However, life plays hard and you'll never know who’s the exact person who you’ll need in the future. You might not want to be a victim of your own scams. Say, treat everyone equally and you might avoid complications in time. Growth of the community and respect for everybody are phrases that we should bare in mind all the time.ss
  • it is natural for people to want to belong and be "apart" of an action larger than they could accomplish themselves in the same time or at all.

    Great post on Community you have a fantastic insight.
  • OH! I SO needed this post today - I've been working on a report for our "community" and completely agree with all the things you said - we are doing it wrong and we need to quickly change.

    I think a major issue is that most directors of companies are so busy trying to keep it running that they don't feel like they have the time to invest into building a community, let alone know how to go about it.

    Personal brand is what builds company brand - it is the people behind the company I care about and what they are doing as people, not the brand.

    I want to publish my report and recommendations publicly and open it up as a wiki so our community can participate in driving the company, vision and become part of our story.

    Thanks for all the goodness you share dude - I'm planning a trip to the US soon and really keen to hang out and see how you roll over in the big wide world!!

    Take it easy brother,

    James
  • wow. this moved me much and speaks to my heart. i know i must stop asking how and just dive in. i learned to swim that way. i learned to waterski that way. in fact i learned to do most that. way. may the reality that we are all in this together hush the inhibitions and may we dive in anyway..here's to some months ahead with nothing i say/any of us say 'shoulda been there.' here's to divin in. ;) thanks for holdin our hands...
  • And you hit the nail on the head again! One person can make a difference on their own, but a large group of truly connected people (a community) can change the world.

    It's much easier to go to sleep at night knowing that you've done something good for and/or with your community just because you could, and not because you had to. The rewards you reap are beyond measure. If you stop long enough to look around you, sometimes you even get to see the extent of the change and the promise of hope - reward enough in itself.

    Looking forward to seeing you in September and watching the circles of community grow.
  • I try and help in some way whenever possible. I did run into one instance with a friend from high school when I tried to help her and she did not like what I had told her and never said, "thank you."

    Community is not a given right... The Red Wings have a website called Red Wings World which has not been maintained very well over the past 2 years. There is still a picture of Hossa from before the season. Which proves even if you have a strong brand and your product is bad. People will leave and find greener pastures and other ways to spend their time.

    Saying, "Thank you, " being grateful and contributing to your community is great in the virtual and real world. People need to know they matter.
  • onelifenofear
    Thanks for the post Chris, I must admit I am new to being part of a community on the web, I had always thought of it as a 'shop window' rather than something which is alive, but I am learning more each day...

    Cheers
    David
  • Not sure why this post reminded me of this quote from Bull Durham: "Nobody on this planet ever really chooses each other. I mean, it's all a question of quantum physics, molecular attraction, and timing. Why, there are laws we don't understand that bring us together and tear us apart. Uh, it's like pheromones. You get three ants together, they can't do dick. You get 300 million of them, they can build a cathedral."

    It's that last bit that makes me think of our (not so) little communities, here. When we're working together -- REALLY working together, our collective impact and worth is immeasurable. I truly believe that.

    I wish that more people could see the strength behind community. That people who actually care, who genuinely WANT to see others succeed, who are passionate about their relationships and want to foster them will go so much farther, and be rewarded (and I'm not talking monetarily) in so many more ways than those who're just looking for the straight line between points A & B.

    While I don't know if appreciating the value of community is something that can be taught (great points, Amber), I do think it's something that can be LEARNED. Even if you don't "get it", so to speak, initially, I think that experiences can open your eyes. At least, I hope they can.
  • Batman
    A Bull Durham quote is always acceptable. Field of Dreams also applies, “If you build it, they will come...”

    I guess now that I've posted here on more than an occasional basis, I'm part of the Chris Brogan Community. Thanks for having me, Chris. I've enjoyed being had :)
  • Hi, nice to bump into you again. You're absolutely right it can be learned. That's where Wittgenstein comes in again. If you stand on the outside, looking in at communities, you just end up scratching your head and not quite understanding what's going on or why. In order to "get it" you have to dive in and live the life, and experience what's happening.
  • As a former philosophy student and tecaher who read too much Wittgenstein, I've always had some strong intuitions about community. You're so right that you can tell which side of the fence people fall on almost straightaway.They're the ones who, when you tell them about a great community-building idea, don't turn round and say "hmm. Sell it to me!" They're the ones who say "What can I do?"

    As a fiction writer, I created a fictional barter-based community-building website calle Endangeredworlds.net to form the heart of my last book, Songs from the Other Side of the Wall (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3308). It would be fantastic to think there might be someone out there who could make it real (it's a simple idea - groups under threat who need help post what they need [resources translated into minority languages; access to printing; legal help]; people with resources looking for something meaningful to do with them post what they can offer. Ther site matches them up).

    My current community-building effort is the Free-e-day festival (http://freeeday.wordpress.com/), a celebration of independent art, music, writing, and film, based on one day of free downloads and a whole bunch of support workshops and events. The reaction is exactly as you would predict - either "what can I do?" or "What do I have to do?" They sound so similar but they are such worlds apart.

    I love what you do, Chris, but I do think you need to be careful with your wording at one point. You say "whether you understand how to work with that force for your own goals and aspirations" - which could be read very similar to the earlier "group I can milk for my profits" you rightly dismiss earlier. Just a small thing, but an important one - don't let people doubt your motives!
  • Great point. It's what I get for writing blog posts after midnight. : )

    Thanks for your thoughts and for sharing your projects with us. It's pretty exciting to see what you're working on, and I hope tons of folks check it out.
  • Sue
    As a founder and nurturer of an online community for almost 10 years your post really hit a nerve for me. I am new to stretching outside my community, and am eager to learn and connect with others in the wider community. As a newbie to this new "realm" outside what I've known for so long, it's refreshing to know that we all can add value to conversations as long as we are passionate about what we share.
  • and THAT'S why you are so fr!kken awesome

    and Dude ... i would NOT have been as big as you about that return of the CEO comin' over to you to ask fer help ... uh uh, no WAY ... i know it ... w/ some of the stuff i just went through ( and at sum point, just ask me about it ... i DARE not mention the name of the brand of which i speak { wink, wink } ) ... and let me tell you, the level of inhumanity that i witnessed ... from at least 4 people ( because your professional brand is, well, kinda like one a those there domino set-ups ... once one a the dominoes is tipped, it sets off a whole crazytrain click click click down the line and up the the top-down dawg way up there at the top ) ... just gruesome

    anyhow ... that's that

    you're incredible ... i would have, perhaps, hypothetically speaking ... uhm ... completely laughed in his face and then talked a bit about poetic justice

    but then again ... as unSmart as that may seem ... i have decided to live for poetic social justice ... and i have started to use the social web to accomplish my very specific and personal business goals

    i should be as big as you about it ... about this situation ... but let's just say ... well, let me leave it at that before i get in trouble again ;]

    peace out Dude ... awesome post ... nice!
  • Great post, Chris! I have to say, you're one of the few keynote speakers I've spoken with at any conference that was genuinely interested in a conversation (two-way). You and Julien both live up to the message you're preaching!
  • toniraebrotons
    Bravo, Chris! I, too, am passionate about creating and maintaining communities, whether it's online, in my personal life, or my professional one. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few..."; "It takes a village..." That's the way I try to live. It may be because I'm single and if I didn't create my own community, I'd just talk to my cats, or maybe it's because I've got it together and I want to help others. I'm not entirely sure, but the "community vibe" beats strong within me. Thanks for articulating this subject with such grace :)
  • Chris,

    I have to say you certainly practice what you preach. I've always been impressed by how you carry out the principles in your posts.

    I happened to write a post a couple of weeks ago about the importance of building community in your business dealings. One important aspect to me is helping people become better at what they do. The best way to do that is to first help them become better at who they are. (More at http://tinyurl.com/lh6ngo if you're interested.)

    Thanks for the excellent insights.

    Steve DeVane
  • Thanks yet again Chris, for somehow writing spot-on about what we're all thinking... so in practice here can I ask your opinion??? (and anyone else here on the post)...

    We so believe in the idea of representing a 'true' self, but at what point does your customer/client community not really give a toss about those personal Tweets that keep coming through??

    So is the answer to run multiple Twitter profiles (one for business/one for personal etc) OR should we just have one, with all our thoughts published in one spot, and simply allow our readers to decypher the drivel and make the choice to stay or go...
  • Hi Charlotte, well I know Debbie Ohi (@inkygirl) does just that,and she deos it very well, but in general I think it's a misunderstanding of the community at the heart of twitter to run 2 accounts. Your clients/customers aren't on twitter twitter to find out about your business in a static, factual way. There are plenty of places they can do that. Twitter is about interaction - it's about @ replying and retweeting, about following people back and joining in the #twitchat sessions. It's the interactive tool that makes people realise how great you are and want to come check out whatever site you have on your profile. Sure, you can tel people what you're doing, and let them know when there's something new on your blog - but it's primarily a place for pimping other people's sites, for engaging - not for telling. It's those personal conversations that sell "you" to the twitter community.

    Happy tweeting :-)
  • Great - that sounds like a truly normal way to live (and Tweet). Phew. Thanks!
  • First, I don't tweet for clients, so I'm not talking from experience. I believe in teaching them to fish.

    That said, if it's your company or whatever, and you're the name on the label, it depends how effective the company wants the account to be. Let me ask the powers that be this question: when you go out seeking new prospects and when you go our schmoozing with your existing customers, do you talk 100% business the whole time?

    This...is...that. If you're not talking like a human, you're risking alienation.

    Exceptions: @jetblue. They're a "human brand." A few others.
  • Sweet - indispensable advice. Thanks Chris. BTW its 5:50am here in Oz and the birds outside sounds like a live intro to TweetDeck! Have a great day!
  • Mr. 'B' I totally dig this post. For me, it speaks volumes. Just yesterday, I received a call confirming that our filing for nonproft status for Mojo2Go Community Civility Projects is now official. My first step as the Exec Dir. is to apply for part time employment at the local grocery store. What better way to learn about the community? No matter the demographic, everyone needs to get groceries, right? Right! The only way I can BEST SERVE the folks I want to do good by, is to know what it is they want, need and even wish for. No better way to do that than interact with them directly on a day-to-day. In this case, I'd better understand the demographics, learn buying habits based on food types and how they're paying for the food; cash, credit or assistance. Type of clothes they're sporting, accents in which they speak..... etc. This will give me a fuller picture of the demograohics I wish to serve.

    This is OH SO true for our business communities. Understand what it is our cusomter's need, from they're perspective. Obtaining this knowledge by reading the latest census, or marketing feasability study is only a piece of the bigger picture.

    Make it MATTER!!! And be Genuine!! Quite impactful!! And Oh SO VERY true!!
    THX for the post.... Judy | Mojo2Go -> *M*otivate; *O*riginate; get *J*azzed; *O*PT-in
  • When you re-met the CEO, I fully expected (and was happy to hear) that you turned around and helped him with his project. Good show.
  • Nothing like defending community, Chris. Nothing. Thanks again for making internet more human: one post, one tweet, one update, one picture, one handshake, one smile @ a time. Peace!
  • Thanks, as always, for the advice Chris.

    It's interesting to see old-fashioned businesses misunderstanding this whole "community is power" movement. Sure, there are a few businesses that get it, but in general: most don't.

    It's not about "how can I use this community to make a dollar?" It's more about "how can we become a valuable, indispensable part of this community?"
  • jillanderson
    I'm going to add this to my list of justification that I am gathering to encourage my neighborhood newsletter group to move to (or add) a community blog. In fact, if they don't decide to start a local community blog- I'm going to do it myself. Thanks Chris.
  • It is so important to the longevity of our race on this planet that we spread this message far and wide. It matters less what we have than it matters what our community has collectively. Education is the solution, but education requires communication and as technology in the western world develops we need to take the time to consider those in less fortunate areas where dictators rule, and education is no given.
  • I'm excited to see such a reaction in the comments here to the concept of communities value. I think the nuances of community are essential to the success of our technologies. Twitter is a breathing representation of our community; good and bad. The social web is facilitating useful and meaningful community around ideas and endeavor.

    It always puzzles me when people seek to 'sell' the idea of a community, instead of just participating with the people they hope to form bonds with. Putting in the time and effort that would be required of making offline friends and champions. It's almost as if people assume a community is possible without an inherent level of authenticity. A dedication to being trustworthy and reliable. I don't care of you want your brand to be a part of a community or you want to be integral in the community yourself; if you lose site of the human desire for genuine behavior and reliable trust expectations you will find yourself wondering why no one has recognized your value in their community.
  • That's a fascinating point, and one that has always plagued communities since the early church had to juggle its internal life with its external witnes. In a sense the life of communities IS the way they sell themselves, and yet they need not just tofeed on themselves, but to alert the world to their existence, and to teh fact that there is something going on that's more than the appearance - in other words that there's a reason to "have a go" as well as "having a listen". And THAT is where posts liek this have their role. It needs to be part of a careful blend, though, like you say.
  • The anchoring glue of any great community is its members. Each community will have characteristics that brought people in; some are what I'd coin "Thought Collectives" (Chris Brogan's community) and some are what I'd coin "Niche Environments" (20 Something Bloggers - my community, but any burgeoning community around interests or behavior work). The key, in my mind, is giving those that do come an experience they enjoy; provide value as best you can without sacrificing the authenticity of the community. As a result, you can ask that community for support in the form of ideas, contribution, participation, consumerism, and evangelism.
  • That's the real dilemma facing any community (and it happens in business, when a company expands rapidly, and in culture when an underground hit becomes mainstream - as well as in the more idea-based communities) - how do you retain the authenticity that made THAT community so special yet reach out to accommodate the new members. There will always be a friction between the miltant core, the periphery that joins because it's cool to do so, and the enthusiastic modernisers. The key is to make that a creative friction not a destructive one. My instinct is that the way to achieve it is to keep the energy flowig rather than let it get static (rather like a planet with a molten core that gets unstable when it loses temperature). Problems happen when the old guard try to enforce their authenticity and retrench their positions within community, rather than letting their position be maintaine roots-up as respected elders whose authority is, nonetheless, never a given.
  • We're experiencing this in our blogger community. In response to rapid growth, myself and some elders built a larger team of community advocates and managers to spread a wider net around the pulse of the community, and to give more voices a say in our future. We encouraged feedback and solicit new ideas on how to improve, how to make things more welcoming and fun, and how to address our integrity as we grow. Without that, older members were losing interest and new members were lost in a sea of unfamiliar territory. Now, or at least gradually as we move forward, it seems that our members are galvanized to participate and interact. With a team who has the basic ethos understood inserting themselves in the community, as resources and advocates, our group maintains its message and relevance.

    I hope all that didn't sound like bragging. I'm really thinking out loud there.
  • That makes sense. I don't know how familiar you are with rugby over in the States, but I always think of vibrant communities as a rolling maul - the particpants all change, and there's constant movement forward, but it always has the same basic shape. Get it wrong and it collapses into a ruck. Just followed you on twitter (I'm @agnieszkasshoes) Was ehading to your blog but the site keeps crashing my computer (operation aborted warning) - I'll try it from work tomorrow
  • Chris, I just received your book today, haven't had a chance to dive in, but I'm sure I'll read about Community in relation to Trust. I believe that one of the foundations for building trust is in belonging to a community. And I don't mean "belonging" in the sense of just being there, but of actually being immersed in and an integral part of the community. It isn't enough to just show up. You have to be involved.

    Back in the 80's & 90's I led team building exercises for groups and trained staff to lead such activities. I wrote a paper on it in 1992 that I unearthed recently, reminding me of how we led groups from their formation to the level of Trust. First the group had to become Comfortable, then Cooperating, then Caring. The same is true in building your community. You have to first be Comfortable with each other. From there you can to learn to Cooperate. And then you begin to Care. Without those three C's, your community will never get to the level of Trust where the greatest accomplishments can take place.
  • maryeulrich
    Thanks Chris. I've posted this on http://asmallgroup.ning.com/

    Good to hear you and other people in business talking about building community.

    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. It is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
  • joahspearman
    Chris, this is great stuff. I fully agree with you here, which is precisely why I find a place like Austin - where small businesses are supported by other small businesses and entrepreneurs (not to mention social media wonks) - is going to succeed more than some of the 20th Century hubs, just as Richard Florida points out in his book Rise of the Creative Class. I think that the creative class and the community go hand-in-hand in today's economy because companies and leaders can no longer find success simply by having the best product or idea and pushing everyone else out of the way or standing on them to reach the top. You have to be one of us, not better than us.
  • JunoKughler
    Way to go Chris! What a great post to start the day with!

    I manage a business journal and am continually trying to get across those very points with companies I talk to. Their current online mentality is equivalent to the guy at a party who shoves his business card under everyone's noses and talks himself constantly. They think "control" rather than "participation."

    I love that you didn't let the man's rude behavior change who you are, and that when the cycle came around you offered your insight and help. You showed him what the true spirit of the social web is all about.
  • This resonates with me on a personal and a professional level. Within the blogosphere I serve as the admin for a weekly blog carnival. We just hit our 231st issue.

    Every day I try to think of ways to help the community so that we can build because I really do believe that we are only as strong as our weakest link.

    On a professional level it ties in with what I do very nicely. I spend a lot of time trying to explain the power of people to others, not in a "new agey" way but in the sense that it is better to have a billion people contribute one dollar than a hundred contribute one million.

    Sometimes I think that fear and insecurity can get in the way of this. Sorry for the long comment.
  • @chrisbrogan is spot on. Authors, this is a must read for adding value to your readership community http://ow.ly/lhGp
  • Communities are very dynamic and what does community mean in a post Facebook/Twitter world. For example, you use email quite extensively to interact with your community at chrisbrogan.com. That requires an email subscription and then people log in with Facebook or Twitter. Do people build relationships in the comments? For sure, but those relationships move to the big silos instead of cultivatig fully here. Does it matter, I'm not sure it does? Communities are a lot more fluid and fragmented these days once you move past the Walmarts of the web.
  • gilescrouchwebconomist
    So true; those that see marketing to be automated to maximize profits, miss the point. It's people that want to engage with a person, company, technology. Technology can never engage with people.
  • Too many execs and stakeholders look at community as another tree to drag to the mill or another land to tap. I had a convo with a client recently who said that he was unconcerned with his existing customers; they already bought from him, and so he argued that he doesn't need to improve his CRM strategy. Just. Doesn't. Get. It.
  • markmontoya
    Community equals connection(s).

    You could be the best at what you do, however if no one knows it, then you are doomed... which is why personal branding is so important: for both the clarity of purpose and focus (as noted by Chris when he said "He knew my name by now, knew what I represented...") and the ability to create results.

    Based on the number of comments/retweets you have created a great community.

    Congrats!
    Mark Montoya
  • Gotta disagree with you slightly there, Mark. It's NOT about personal branding. It's about clear communication of the idea at the core of your community. Sure, a good name will get you started - but if there's a person rather than an idea or practice at the centre of things, it won't have legs.

    And a great idea doesn't need a person at the centre of it - just to come to the attention of the right audience.
  • 100% right... I've seen it first hand with a niche online community here in the UK - I started it out online back in 1995 as a list of friends, it grew into their friends, it's now had a quarter of a million folk sign up (it's *very* niche!) and members are now organising thousands of events each year for one another all over the UK - blending the online community and the real world. No overt marketing, no attempting to make it work, just letting people use the technology, build their own communities, heavy localization so they can meet up, helping them to make great things happen. Fantastic community and the power is huge.
  • dougerickson
    Chris,
    I've been enjoying your posts for quite a while, lurking silently, as it were. But I just had to tell you today what great work you do, how important your perspective is, how wonderful it is to count on optimism and hope and humanity in my In-box each morning. I'm certain you don't need me to tell you any of these things, but I wanted to, perhaps because I'm fairly certain there are lots of others, like me, mostly silent, who welcome every word you share. Thank you!
  • You know Chris, I just like you. I think it is really because we have similar values. I think you are my favorite blogger because you always remain true to yourself. It could come over as insincere but it doesn't because there is always something authentic about the way you communicate. I have just done a blog on personal brand after reading Who's got your Back by Keith Bertwistle and visiting Marcus Buckingham's blog, I know now that really knowing yourself and being true to who you are is the fastest way to enjoy your life and build your community and business. Hey, thanks for more inspiration.
  • Hi Chris
    I like the passion behind your post and also the way that you put community first in a society that could fairly be described as individualistic. I enjoy being part of your community even though I haven't commented before now. cheers Rachel
  • I just bought your book partly after reading this entry. I only recently began to follow you on Twitter and subscribe to your newsletter because--frankly--I'm rather leery of those who promote themselves as social media experts. For most, it seems to be just another con. From everything of yours I've read so far, I get the sense that you are authentic in your beliefs. I'm hopeful that your book and ideas will help me build a community of like-minded souls. I'm not interested in selling "stuff" as much as I'm interested in selling ideas and a view of the world. I'm a progressive, a law professor, and an advocate of free trade. It occurs to me that each of those camps is actually pretty bad at getting others to understand, let alone adopt their ideas. But the other side is great at mobilizing their own constituents. The world they would create is not one I'd want to live in. Given that reality, I've decided I'd better get good at building community! I sure hope your book can help.
  • This has been sitting on an open tab all day waiting for me to have the chance to read it... well worth the read (as always.)

    But I'm still a bit conflicted, if I'm honest. I'm hating the way people interchange "community" with "collective" and "being a part of your community" with "decision by committee"...

    Are communities created or do they develop? Are they organic or artificial? Are they solid entities or overlapping venn diagrams?

    Perhaps I don't get "community" as it's being used by so many these days. Fortunately, the communities I feel a part of seem to not get it right along with me... because I'd hate the lack of freedom of anything else.

    Still, you are a catalyst for these ponderings Mr. Brogan - and that's a good thing.
  • Great perspective Chris. It has occurred to me in the last few weeks that I gravitate to others in the communities that I am part of that speak with a very conversational tone. Skip the big words and the tangents and instead focus on getting to the point and making your case. You do this well and your posts are very easy to follow. To me that is a cornerstone to conversation and clearly conversation is essential for community.
  • For someone who's not naturally an extrovert, online schmoozing and networking via email, forums and blogs is something I embraced with energy - because I realized that was my one chance to build anything meaningful, given my less-than-ideal interactive preferences off-line.

    For that reason, I've been biased against anyone who engages with an overt "what can I milk this for" mentality - and the 'overtness' becomes more apparent the more experienced you get.

    In your place, I would have turned down that CEO when he approached me - because I doubt if he'd have learned the lesson about the value of community otherwise (it was simply validation of his mindset that he can "get whatever he wants, without having to give - first, or later")

    Just my 2 cents :)

    Dr.Mani
  • Hi Dr Mani, interesting point you make at the end.
    On a purely selfish level, Chris' action is the right thing to do - I believe I'm right in saying that the most successful strategy for playing the prisoner's dilemma - sometimes extrapolated as the most successful (meaning success for the practitioner) strategy in life - is "attenuated altruism", essentially a fancy name for saying "everyone gets a second chance; but no one gets a third".
  • I have to be honest: this is the first-time I have read a blog post by you Mr. Brogan! I've been following your Tweets for many months now, but when I saw this title I had to check it out.

    I am becoming passionate about community building, and I see it as very powerful for companies and even individuals who are branding themselves. Do you see community building as potentially powerful for the individual in that a college student like myself might create a very organized list of contacts of people whom have engaged with the student's endeavors thus far in his or her life?

    I think Everyone should develop their own community, something even more than an email list.

    I would love to see a follow up post to this blog giving your own advice on how to start building a community, and perhaps another after that on how to maintain an engaged community.

    Good stuff Chris!
  • What you're suggesting misses the point somewhat, John. The point of communities is they're self-organising, and build around an idea - often with the drive of a person, but never around a person. If one tries to "build a community" it will end up as just social engineering, rather than that magical thing that has bottom-up buy-in.
  • @Dan

    Ah yes, thank you for pointing that out. Perhaps what I am thinking of is in fact a more organized email list that would help one to network better and stay in touch with friends and family, versus creating a community around?

    I see what you are saying and am glad you took the time to help me see how my suggestion misses the point.

    How might you distinguish between one person helping to build a community around her or his blog versus a company attempting to build a community? Are both driven by the members of the community, i.e. would you say that for a community to be sustainable it must be almost founded entirely by the evangelists of the brand themselves?
  • Hi John,

    I think yes, your blog has to feel like it's a tool for facilitating the community's growth - a fuel for the engine rather than the engine itself. The important thing is for people to believe they've discovered a place that shares something they value and both articulates it and converts it into action.
  • Dan,

    Very well said, I now have a better understanding of your viewpoints. Isn't that the power of the Internet, of social media, of blogging and community building? The ability to connect with others in a means like this on someone else's blog whom we both respect and foster action while sharing ideas.

    So a blog is the vehicle for the community to develop and perhaps engage through, by responding to ideas posted in a blog and learning through interacting with other readers.

    Cool. Are you a blogger? Would be great to connect on Twitter as well.
  • Jen
    Hi Chris,
    I truly love your blog and this post on community is right on! Thank you for all the great work you do. I share your info often.

    All the best to you!
    Jen
  • It's funny how social media can often lose the people element. This post really reminds us that there are people behind the posts, tweets, comments, avatars, profiles... etc. Just because we relate to one another technologically doesn't mean that the same rules of social face-to-face interaction don't apply.

    Great post, Chris.
  • Wonderful post, Chris. Community is at the core of why we use the Web. We yearn for community with every blog post, tweet, forum post, facebook update, Digg, etc. It's when we find our true believers and friends online that we can create forces that can't be stopped.

    Before a community can be created, an actual, unquestionable need by others needs to exist. It can't be faked -- it needs to be genuine. Even communities that exist solely to buy and sell products, CAN thrive if there is a legitimized need for it. (Best example of this is the Warrior Internet Marketer forum -- the incestuous buying behavior for internet sales materials... but it works. People connect and share a ton of feedback.)

    ~Joe
  • I like what you said.
  • This is another wonderful article dealing with the creation of a human-shaped-business environment, in which community is core, and individuals work to build together, for the common good!
    Great vision! Together, over time, we can turn it into a reality.
  • kirstenolson
    Chris, I just found you (through Joyful Jubilant Learning) and I totally rock this post. Community is everything, community is how we grow, know, come to be whom we were meant to be. Thank you for this fantastic opening anecdote, which I feel is at the heart of what I try to tell folks too. Every contact matters, and every contact is a chance to learn and receive. I am appreciative of this message, which has beauty. I am learning from you!
  • DUDE. I have nothing to add except an amen and love this come to meeting post: meeting of community and the people who thrive on it. Thank you.
  • Excellent article Chris. You are right on the mark. I totally beleive that we are all interconnected on this globe of ours. Social media seems to be the best tool yet that I have seen to shine a light on it.
    I have worked/lived in an intentional community for 20 years. In some ways we are progressive and in some we are static. In most cases people come to the table from a place of service and good will or at least that is the intent.

    I have been avidly studying social media for almost a year now wearing multiple hats and have been very exceited by what I have discovered. IT has flatlined the world and is in some ways more accessible than many other points of contact. NOt everyone gets it yet as the technology aspect to it can be threatenning. The lack of privacy etc. I think that it is overridden by the greatness of the people you meet and the possiblities of growth and transformation. WE have no idea really where it is taking us but the way we relate is changing becasue of it.I think as people mature they will find that community is key.
  • It's a mindset ... actually ... it's more about your heart. Real community is about caring for people, thinking of others 1st and helping others. It makes me think of the phrase about raising children: "it takes a tribe" ...

    In the work environment this can be VERY hard. People expect for you to be able to hold you own, do your part and execute. When people don't do these things it's challenging to "care" ... make sense? I struggle with this personally. When people really do contribute it's easier to feel good about their involvement in the community.

    Building community and helping everyone contribute is challenging =)

    This thought process is where I can focus.

    "Decide whether your projects and your goals and your worldview revolve around community (or more realistically, many communities) and then whether you understand how to work with that force for your own goals and aspirations."

    Thanks Chris.

    http://twitter.com/franswaa
  • Name
    I was quite intrigued with your blog and the social networking services that your Company offers. I hope you the best with your book rising on the N.Y. Bestselling List.
    Have a great weekend!

    Della Spearman
  • Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM) is a concept that was burned into my brain throughout high school athletics.

    It seems like it is so much more satisfying to achieve goals with people around you, also achieving goals, then it is to go it alone. The juxtaposition of pushing the envelope and bringing everyone along with you can be daunting at best...

    I still think it's worth it though. :)
  • I loved this post and it made me think of a talented, smart friend of mine. Lara, Dubai is waiting!
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