Communities are much more valuable than networks

If you want to understand the difference between a network and a community, ask your Facebook friends to help paint your house says Henry Mintzberg in this piece for Drucker Forum.

In this interview Ben Elton says "The "age of outrage" can largely be blamed on the speed of social progress."

"Communities now are people like you with the same agenda, sexuality, race, creed, religion or politics.

"It's not a physical community at all and I think that's a very interesting and confusing time for us all."

I have a different view to Ben in that I'm very much cultivating in person communities that are complimented with a private online group.

We do have niche shared focus. The purpose of our community being:

1) Share insights, ideas and inspiration about being Sparkenators and fully alive human beings.
2) Ask questions about resources use.
3) Extend Sparkenation Conversations held online and in person.

We chose Facebook as the platform for our private online group even though most of us don't use Facebook a lot personally. Interestingly Facebook is placing more emphasis on groups see this Wired article.

One of my recommended actions in the Communities Sparkenation of my Remarkable Workplaces book is the following - Of all the third places you feel you really belong to where are you giving and receiving the greatest value? What modifications/changes will you make?

Communityship is a concept I love from Henry Mintzberg. Please read more here.

Henry's insights add great value to my long term investment of time, energy and money in communities both in person and online, and mostly with the emphasis in person.

In my case there's been many evolutions in the names Differencemakers. Changing What's Normal
Talent Enhancers, Appreciative Leaders, and currently Maverick Thinkers Farm.

The common thread is about being the best human beings that we can be.

I'm personally convinced that communities are much more valuable than networks. 

What say you?

Who will you become?

What will you do next?

Be remarkable.
Ian