One word: Ask
Engage the community around a question, not an answer
When you ask, you need to listen to the answer and
follow-through
Community building takes circles (associations centered
on consensus, relationships, caring)
"Partnerships" must be citizen-centered to
engage the community
Success builds upon success
Start small
A community's gifts are perishable--it's better to
identify and successfully use/connect a small number of people than to identify but not
use a large number
Start with an easy goal
Start with an issue/goal that is "winnable"
If something works, do more of it
Know yourself, especially your boundaries
When entering a community, check your ego and attitudes
at the door
Also recognize you do know what to do--remember what you
already know
In working with a community, remember a leader is someone
with a following and beware of false leaders (individuals or groups seen as leaders by
outsiders but not by community members)
No amount of doing the wrong thing will make it the right
thing
A community can only tackle a certain number of issues
(or an issue) at a time
Pick your fights/choose your battles
Be a wise steward of the limited (volunteer) energy
available in the community
Recognize that timing and the confluence of events do
play a role in community building
