Creating Your Community Network:
The 10 Habits Of Effective Collaborators

To create a Community Network, you need several things. The last thing you need is equipment and connectivity. Isn’t that interesting? You’d think you would start by addressing that, but you don’t.

First, you have to develop a team, agree to work together (even when the going gets tough), and develop a set of operating principles, a shared vision, for the team. Call them community leaders, citizen representatives, stakeholders. Whatever you call them, you are the core group the represents a broad swath of your community.

Here is how this works: you collaborate, see?

What does collaborate mean? Probably not what you think. A collaboration is when several people or organizations get together, pool their common interests and assets, to promote broader interests for the community’s good. The most important thing to keep in mind about that is this: Organizations don't collaborate -- PEOPLE collaborate.

Ten elements are essential for any successful collaboration.

  1. Enthusiasm. People who participate in a planning, implementing and developing a Community Network have to want to do it. If people are doing it merely out of some duty or obligation and aren’t committed to the principles of the group, you will have trouble.
  2. Diversity. This is not a time to reach out just to your friends or colleagues; this is a time to expand your reach to all corners of the community. That doesn’t mean you ignore community leaders; they have a place at the table – an important pl ace. But you also reach out to groups usually left out; minorities, older folks, citizens in society’s margins, young people. You want to build a core team that represents the communities you want to serve! You also want diverse knowledge skills as part o f your core team.
  3. Cooperation. People have to be willing to work together. You will have different ideas about how to use the Community Network. That’s fine! It can serve many needs and opportunities. But you have to "check your turf at the door" and t hink about the larger benefits for the community. This means a willingness to really listen to others and hear their points of view.
  4. Networking. You have to be willing to share information. This is a key to a successful Community Network because it is driven in part by information. What are the most important information needs in the community? Address those first, if you ca n. Networking also means that you communicate openly with each other. Always. No hidden agendas.
  5. Coordination. This work takes a good deal of coordination. Not only does information need to be shared, but ways to do the sharing, freeing up people’s time – staff time – to do work, also is important. Schedules have to mesh, plans need timeta bles; there’s no room for slackers.
  6. Negotiation. All collaborations are negotiations – ongoing negotiations among the key, strategic and other partners – about what needs to happen and when. Turf has no place in this discussion, either. Team members must be willing to discuss di fferences in positive, solution-oriented ways.
  7. Flexibility. As the network develops, you will see it affecting organizations and citizens in new ways. People will develop additional ideas about how to make the network valuable. You must be flexible enough to listen and go with the best idea s, no matter where they come from. In telecommunications, things sometimes change very rapidly; you have to be willing to go with the flow, while keeping your original mission and vision in mind.
  8. Trust. Working with others takes trust. Of course, it doesn’t happen as soon as you sit at the table with others; it takes time. Give the time necessary to learn to trust and to be trustworthy yourself. Give people the benefit of the doubt; don ’t expect conspiracy when ignorance could be an equal reason for an action or comment.
  9. Commitment. You won’t always get your way. Be there for the long haul. People must be able to see the "big picture" of the potential for community-wide connectivity for it to be effective. Look for ways to develop, expand and sustain the organization from the beginning. No matter what your past experience with collaborations, get it into your mind that this time, it is going to work!
  10. Accountability. Own up to your errors. Expect others to do the same. Be willing to work and actually see the work through.

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