Have you asked a question today? What did you do with it? Did it take you somewhere new? Did it bring you here?” The Google Science Fair asks the above to introduce a science challenge aimed at kids. With a well designed set of incentives, trips from National Geographic Explorer to the Galapagos and to …
While reading a recent HBR article by Gary Hamel I was struck by his description of food industry pioneer Morningstar’s innovative management system and its relationship to our work. In particular, Hamel highlights the need for clearly designed structures and community managers to make complex networks successful. Most of our clients bring us big, complicated …
“You know, they’re always telling you what to do, what not to do and it’s not conducive to a creative atmosphere!” – Willy Wonka In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas form an amazing culture, one kids dream about and corporate raiders attempt to steal. They also create an amazing …
Have you ever heard anyone sing a low E? The sound is both concerning and captivating. Apparently, it is an incredibly difficult and rare note. That’s why Decca Records recently held a competition to find the best singer in the world who can hit the low E. Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where …
Our clients are always looking for the right word to describe their networks. Consortium, ecosystem, platform, movement, field, etc. Though ‘marketplace’ seldom makes the list, we often find it’s the best word for the job. It’s well-intentioned – romantic, even – to say “we want our community to grow organically” or “we really want our …
The Taco Bell Unlock the Box contest has picked up significant media attention because of the frustration it has apparently caused “winners.” I won’t over-hash the drama, you can read it here, here, and here. But, long story short, it looks like someone tried to game the system resulting in multiple “false winners.” Whatever the …
Earlier this month, two social networking companies drew criticism for two different reasons, but both from a common root cause: a lack of disclosure. Why all the fuss? Let’s start by examining the lesser of the two cases and consider Pinterest. The media darling-social network is known for providing an inviting place for “pinners” to …
Late last summer, my boss asked me if I wanted to take a genetic test through 23andMe as part of research for a project we were working on. (Don’t worry: this isn’t a story about workplace health discrimination.) Being something of an introvert, I’m slow to join new online communities and even slower to share …
So you’re trying to build a network to engage your community. Where do you start? And what do you need to be successful? First, define your community. Is it your internal stakeholders? Your customers? Or a group even larger than that? Remind yourself that you’re acting as part of that community; find that all-important intersection …
Recently I was at an Ecotrust convening (resilienceregions.org) where roughly 50 environmental leaders from across the world came together to discuss new models for economic development and conservation. What unfolded was an amazing collection of inspirational stories, shared values and a desire to stay connected. Most of us walked away honored to be part of …
