> > Can you elaborate on exactly how you involve the community in operations of > the business? Do you open the books to the community? Do you have them > vote on enhancements? What logistics/technologies do you use? Other > specifics? >
We spent 9+ months developing events that didn't require a permanent space of our own (Jellies <http://workatjelly.com>, happy hours, etc). When we started looking for space, we asked people what, and where, they were interested in. The trick when asking for feedback is knowing how to process the feedback loop. We had our own roadmap in mind, but took advantage of feedback to help prioritize. When it came to finding the space, we involved the community by posting photos on Flickr (an idea borrowed from Citizen Space). People got to see what were were looking at, what the attributes of each space were, etc. Even if they didn't have a "vote", our transparency let them be a part of the process. We've been public about our growth numbers, most recently integrating them into a new quarterly "Town Hall" meeting format. We share membership numbers, and goals. The most valuable part of the Town Hall has been a section of the format that asks attendees for 2 things that they love about IndyHall, and 2 things that they'd like to help change about IndyHall. We intentionally frame the 2nd part to give them the opportunity to volunteer, and be a part of the improvement they want to see. Our last Town Hall (last week) left us with pretty clear goals for the next couple of months, and have some new "project leads" stepping up from within the community. The hardest part of community involvement is going beyond being transparent. Leading by example (and finding others within the community to lead by example) and show that "if you want to do something here, you can!". We're as responsive as we can be to suggestions and ideas for improvements to the space and the workflow. It's rare that an idea can't, or won't, be implemented. The only time we dodge a suggestion is if it conflicts with our core values, and at that point we get to explain those core values and help the person re-model their suggestion in such a way that it fits better. There's no fancy technologies. We tried something like UserVoice.com, but found that it was just a lot more effective on our scale to remove all barriers between members and our leadership...with the goal of our members *becoming* leaders in the community. We're always looking for, and trying, new ways to involve people, with events, formats, projects, and more. Can you suggest how you got notices by the representatives in your city? I'm > fearing that Philadelphia is more progressive than Atlanta in that > respect... > I think I'll give the same advice I give to startups that ask about "how to get press": be bold. Find ways to add value, and do it in bold ways. If you're doing good things for your city, and you keep doing good things for your city, and you continue to make sure that they're visible, you will get noticed. Leaders get noticed. *Make your organization a leader in your local industry.* Make improving your city a part of your goal. A part of your mantra. A part of your reason for existing. When Geoff and I started working on the earliest stages of IndyHall as a community concept, he was telling me about his founding of his local civic association with the goal of improving the neighborhood he lived in. The value of working to improve your surroundings is immense, and that became the beating heart of our mission: to make Philadelphia a better place to make a living doing what you love. That's a great mission to check ideas against, and partnerships, and opportunities. People identify with it, and it's crystal clear why you're there. It's also important to define why you're interested in being noticed by the city. Is it for recognition? Press? Funding? Public resources? What else? Desks and collaboration are NOT a part of our core mantra, surprisingly to some. You're not going to get the attention of the city by putting a bunch of desks in a room. You ARE going to get the attention of the city by gathering minds, achieving goals, proving a track record, improving a local industry, and as I said at the beginning, being bold at every turn. As far as Philadelphia being "more progressive" than anywhere...our city, like any city, has some serious problems. We've managed to make ourselves a viable part of a solution to at least one of those problems. And the best part about our solution is that it doesn't rely on the city for support. We keep doing what we're doing, with or without them. We've had similar discussions with other organizations that are big and slow-moving, and our mentality has always been, "look...we're working towards the same thing, and that's great. but we're not going to wait around. we're going to keep doing what we're doing, and when you're ready to get on board, or see an opportunity to get involved in a way that you're comfortable...we'll still be here and you're more than welcome to join us". In the spirit of disclosure, it helps that Geoff has been involved with civic organizations. Quite a bit. He's been on transition and branding committees with the mayor's office. He's sat on panels and boards with leaders from many, many significant communities. He's not directly involved with the city, but having people involved with your community that have a a track record with city officials helps. Again, if this is a part of your goal, be on the lookout for those people, and give them an opportunity to contribute by bringing their network to the table. -Alex -- ----- -- ----- Alex Hillman im always developing something digital: [email protected] helpful: www.unstick.me visual: www.dangerouslyawesome.com local: www.indyhall.org On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 5:07 PM, Mike Schinkel <[email protected]>wrote: > On Oct 28, 2009, at 6:55 PM, Alex Hillman wrote: > > *People* - investing in our community is the other half. > > *People leads to profit. Profit doesn't necessarily lead to people.* Involving > the community in the operations of the business has been a part of our > secret sauce. > > > Thanks for sharing these Alex. This list is such a great resource. > > > Can you elaborate on exactly how you involve the community in operations of > the business? Do you open the books to the community? Do you have them > vote on enhancements? What logistics/technologies do you use? Other > specifics? > > > 3) we've been recognized by individuals, businesses, and representatives of > the city that our efforts and our community are a significant contributor to > the growth and visibility of a community in a city that wasn't otherwise > known for technology, creative, or independent workers. > > > Can you suggest how you got notices by the representatives in your city? > I'm fearing that Philadelphia is more progressive than Atlanta in that > respect... > > > -Mike Schinkel > Ignition Alley Atlanta Coworking > http://ignitionalley.com > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
