Our Blog

Here you’ll find ideas and observations regarding facilitation, community design, process design, and automation that enables the human touch.

Our Favorite Asynchronous Video Tools

Our Favorite Asynchronous Video Tools

Asynchronous communication tools enhance effective collaboration. Video is a particularly rich medium. Nevertheless, technological and social friction has inhibited the widespread adoption of asynchronous video. That is changing fast. Specialty tools are getting easier to use. More importantly, the pandemic has normalized the creation and use of video. It no longer feels so awkward to be in front of a camera. Our favorite tools—which we use every day—include Snagit, Loom, VideoAsk, Camtasia, and Vimeo.

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Build an Audience and Cultivate Community

Build an Audience and Cultivate Community

The emphasis on collaborative, peer conversations that demand mutual trust—along with the active brokering of connections and facilitation of conversations by the host—distinguishes communities from networks and audiences. As a consultant, make your expertise visible and build an audience. At the same time, keep an eye open for opportunities to cultivate a community.

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Communities Are Purposeful

Communities Are Purposeful

Proximity or propinquity may be necessary to instill a sense of community, but they aren’t sufficient. Communities are purposeful. That may be particularly true of successful online communities.

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Mixed Messages

Mixed Messages

Effective meetings have a clear purpose. Agendas and patterns of conversation that send mixed messages—however inadvertently—are likely to undermine the achievement of that purpose.

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Automate First

Automate First

Technology mediation requires the timely execution of many tasks. If you aren’t careful, you can be overwhelmed by the administrative demands of community management. Automate what should be automated in order to free your time to focus on high-value human interaction.

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