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  Reflections On A #4Change Twitter Chat

  Zero Strategist 3:12 pm on February 19, 2010 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: #4change (6), Collaboration (2), Community (2), Conversation (2), Microblog (3), Reflection, Social Change (7), Social Media, Twitter (10)

  Last week I facilitated the #4Change global twitter chat with Tom on Cause Fatigue. It was an awesome one. When the chat ended I was left with what I have just call in the past “the feeling.” The purpose of this article is to explore exactly what that “feeling” is and why it is important.

  Describing “The Feeling” of A Great Twitter Chat

  When I participate in or moderate a twitter chat that has gone well I experience a range of emotions which I will attempt to describe here:

  Convergence - Diverse and distributed individuals coming together to make something common happen in real time.

  Discovery - The exploration of ourselves, each other, our thoughts, common issues, topics, information, links, articles, books, videos and other resources which are not always know by any one individual, expert or practitioner.

  Conversation - Intense, thoughtful, deep conversation about something which is of interest.

  Connection - Forging lasting connections because of meaningful interactions around common actions.

  Collaboration - The contributions of individuals to co-create something together, which is otherwise not possible.

  Serendipity - The experience of encountering “randomness” or “pseudo-randomness” (I don’t think they are random at all but that is for another article), the bridging of degrees of social, societal, organizational and global separations.

  Openness – An open door through a relatively open platform, though which any peer can step at anytime. All opinions welcome, wanted and valued.

  Rich Discussion – When participating in the face to face chats with different sized groups there are certain physical limits. With the microblog medium it is possible to participate in multiple conversations or conversation threads at once. The conversation can converge, diverge and re-converge whenever it needs to. A more rich conversation can happen where once it was limited physically.

  Learning - Often times when joining in a microblog chat (or any meeting for that matter), people think or believe that they may already know a good deal about a subject or topic. But through the virtual convening of eclectic individuals, perspectives and backgrounds in open conversation a greater truth, knowledge or experience has the potential to reveal itself to all.

  The feeling that I have described above is the not like any other feeling I have experienced in life. To be completely honest it can indeed be quite compelling, borderline intoxicating. It is this overwhelming sense of so many “things” mashed together that it becomes a nearly nonsensical and indescribable emotional mashup. But the first time you feel it, you just know somewhere deep inside and something changes in you forever. It is a sense of awe and amazement, the one you first experienced as a kid discovering the world.

  Your “reality” is not the same as it was before feeling that (social media working). You don’t look at things or think about things the same way that you did before. The mind begins to race with the possibility of change on a much grander scale then imagined in previous moments. The ideas come in waves like tsunamis, time becomes some elusive thing that you need more of to make so much more happen. Something is working and happening on a higher level that was not really possible before these social web technologies emerged and took flight on the Internet a half a decade ago.

  Why I Participate In #4Change Microblog Chats

  Everyone has their own reason for joining different events, conversations and happenings both virtual and real. The reason I participate in the #4Change Twitter Chats (microblog chats) is because of two things which I know to be at the heart of social media and social change:

  1. The Feeling (As described above)
  2. My Peers (#4Change team/fellow tweeps)

  Disclosure – This article has been cross posted to Zero Strategist
  

  
   

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• 

  Cause Fatigue #4Change Recap

  Zero Strategist 5:39 pm on February 12, 2010 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: #4change (6), Campaigning (5), Cause (2), Events (2), Fatigue (2), Microblog (3), Social Media, Twitter (10)

  Thanks everyone who attended or contributed to February’s #4Change Chat on the topic of Cause Fatigue, the chat was indeed interesting and lively! This is not at complete transcript of the conversation, but rather a curated recap which aims to tie the conversation threads together.

  If you have any additional ideas, insights, resources or writings on cause fatigue please leave comments, post links or use the #4change hashtag to tweet your post! You can always review the entire chat by searching the #4Change hashtag on twitter.

  Q1. How do you define cause fatigue?

  amycarolwolff Cause fatigue is what occurs when communication about an issue becomes uncreative and stagnant.

  tomjd I think Cause Fatigue is when stories no longer resonate – ppl get used to issue, it comes normal, acceptable. Loss of outrage.

  zerostrategist @amycarolwolff A1: I think #cause #fatigue is when you dread having to support a cause that you really love supporting

  realize_ink @tomjd Agreed. I’d add that it’s what happens when comms re: issue no longer tap their core values. Values may’ve changed

  zerostrategist @tomjd A1: I think Cause Fatigue is when people lose all passion to act for a cause to which they are dedicated or do believe in

  Q2. What are some of the contributing factors to cause fatigue?

  tomjd Another factor is loss of belief in change. Ppl accept status quo. Consider all parties “interest groups”, all equally suspicious.

  zerostrategist A2: Inefficiency in general, lack of a cohesively communicated & executed strategy, few resources can be big factors in c-fatigue

  memeshift @zerostrategist I think *attention* is just such a resource internally (org)/externally(supporters)

  tomjd @memeshift Totally agree with “attention” as a resource to be more carefully managed. This is why I Q all the big giving comps

  tomjd @memeshift like Chase, Pepsi, etc – when orgs r repeatedly mobilizing supporters for these comps their attention resource dwindles

  zerostrategist A2: Also lack of top cover, the absence of strong leadership or change champions can lead to cause drift, a lack of direction

  realize_ink @tomjd Good pt re: Chase & Pepsi, etc. More collaboration b/t companies might cr8 less fatigue, more change in long run.

  zerostrategist @memeshift Couldn’t agree more I have seen lack of internal engagement increase the turnover rates of organizations

  memeshift @tomjd keen call, man. Attention is valuable. If something *really* important comes along, than what?

  tomjd @memeshift Exactly. And while some orgs do win big from these comps most end up w nothing except lost time/energy

  memeshift @zerostrategist leaders to step up. Absolutely. They gotta be passionate too.

  Q3. What strategies can be used to reinvigorate support for a cause when supporters get burned out?

  tomjd @zerostrategist Making it personal is important – sharing personal stories, not just statistics, not just portraying victims

  memeshift @tomjd dig that – not just portraying victims. Easy to take dignity away, difficult to restore.

  yellowbuzz Perhaps getting away frm the ‘victim’ language is crucial. “victim” objectifies people in need – taking away thr agency

  zerostrategist @yellowbuzz For sure the language you choose to use matters deeply should be customized for audience, empowering & calls to action

  yellowbuzz @memeshift @zerostrategist Collaboration with other orgs/networks/indiv = a solution cure Cause Fatigue?

  zerostrategist @yellowbuzz Yes I def think that collaboration + cross pollination with other orgs/networks/indiv = a strategy 4 stopping fatigue

  memeshift @zerostrategist cross training #4change sounds like it could be a new cause in itself!

  zerostrategist @memeshift Heck yes! The great thing is that cross training partners would learn the pit falls, instead of learning the hard way

  realize_ink A3: Obvious answer is refined, more targeted messaging so it really resonates. Also need the *right* messengers.

  zerostrategist @memeshift @tomjd I think that burning social capital on contests / repeat mobilizing can cause burnout fatigue + diminish brand

  realize_ink So what’s keeping orgs from collaborating more if we know non-collab leads to c-fatigue? Brand protection? Is it worth it?

  karitas A3 celebrating successes of partner causes brings positivity across your movement

  zerostrategist @karitas RE A3 Making a point to celebrate victories & important milestones helps to re-energize across partner causes

  meshugavi A3 Bring emotion and faces into the way you communicate your mission.

  karitas @realize_ink its about going from a legacy mindset to a Put-yourself-out-of-business mindset. Collab is essential to meeting mission

  realize_ink @karitas Spot on! Wish more ppl, orgs, org leaders would share this view

  karitas @realize_ink me too! And when we don’t see how much our partners are doing, new orgs pop to “fill in the gap” and stratify support

  dpmichel 3. look to what is resonating and how your cause fits into that

  zerostrategist A3: Rotating your people across different sub-causes & partner campaigns can keep them fresh + lend more perspectives & ideas

  zerostrategist A3: Making sure everyone gets + are taking adequate vacation & sick time when they are ill goes a long way to improve participation

  neddotcom “strategies” used to reinvigorate support? Impact reporting. Traction and results. Quick feedback loops. Open collaboration.

  Q4. When do you expand your campaign to outreach to new supporters?

  tomjd @zerostrategist I would think those would be 2 diff campaigns – one for existing supporters, one for new. Need diff communication

  yellowbuzz @tomjd maybe the distinction is not so hard. a organizer-operator-supporter-peripheralsupporter-propagator continuum? #4change

  zerostrategist @yellowbuzz Like the idea here of the O-O-S-PS-P continuum, wish the there was no distinction. But there is much of the time.

  realize_ink I’m with @tomjd – sounds like 2 diff campaigns w diff messenging and messenger, but same ask #4Change

  zerostrategist @realize_ink @tomjd They do require different comm strategies as long as the objectives are different, but combine what you can.

  Q5. When do you contract your campaign to focus on the supporters you do have?

  MeganMurray A5 #4Change Consistently.. but with respect to their time. Consistency is important.

  zerostrategist @MeganMurray RE A5 Meaning that keeping the campaign effective, requires continuous trimming? No big cuts or sudden drops?

  MeganMurray @zerostrategist #4Change Moderating vs. trimming. These are relationships. They operate in waves, you have to respond to those rhythms.

  Q6. What tools can be used to keep communities engaged in the midst of cause fatigue?

  memeshift @zerostrategist A6 a simple hello (Tweet, email, txt, call) before you even need anything, I reckon.

  socialedge #4Change chat is pondering What strategies can be used to reinvigorate support for a cause when supporters get burned out? RT’d by hnajam

  socialedge #4change @bbravo http://bit.ly/aUOJLZ @hildygottlieb @kanter http://bit.ly/9fTkU8 great resources for #socialmedia cure for cause fatigue

  realize_ink @socialedge Gr8 @kanter post, but even Soc Med fatigue exists. I hear “not another FB fan page!” a lot. Need variety of pltfrms

  realize_ink @zerostrategist A6: communication that doesn’t involve an ask. And, plenty of thank yous along the way.

  zerostrategist @realize_ink I like ur A6 I think that a soft approach tends to be more effective too! TYs are critical.

  yellowbuzz A6: a blog that archives work in progress. Documenting process engages communities, interested or semi-interested

  MeganMurray A6: Reward mechanisms and balanced engagement (meaning = ratio of rally & fun)

  rootwork A6: Describing your past successes – storytelling!

  memeshift Yes! RT’d @rootwork

  MeganMurray @rootwork Good one! Excellent point.

  rootwork @MeganMurray To me, organizational/movement histories are one of the key things that create sustainability, but often aren’t done

  MeganMurray @rootwork So true. Generally as a species we have a lil trouble learning from our past.

  realize_ink A6: opportunity for change agents to “own” part of the process. Implement their own ideas working toward common goal.

  memeshift Yes! RT’d @real

  meshugavi A6 Celebrating small victories

  tomjd @meshugavi And identifying clearly how the work of supporters contributed to those victories

  insearchofsanuk Say Thank you. Often.

  meshugavi @tomjd yes @350 does a great job of that

  zerostrategist The KISS answer to A6: #blogs #wikis #forums #mashups #geo #microblogs #socialnetworks #socialbookmarks #cloudcomputing #badges

  yellowbuzz @zerostrategist How about something in-person, like an ice cream social?

  zerostrategist @yellowbuzz You know funny that you bring that up because cupcake socials seem to be a #socialmedia #meme & have raised a lot of $$

  yellowbuzz @zerostrategist Yes – FOOD #4change! We’ve mobilized lots of artists/enthusiasts/supporters with pancakes, donuts, cupcakes, scones indeed!

  memeshift @yellowbuzz nice! My current FB tagline: “media arts + pizza”

  realize_ink @zerostrategist I’m a huge fan of collaboration & working w multiple groups 2 time R asks & vary them so ppl dont get overloaded

  zerostrategist @yellowbuzz Something tasty (pastries, microbrews, eats) can be a powerful force to converge, mobilize, #4change and combat #cause #fatigue

  realize_ink @yellowbuzz @memeshift I know I’m always motivated by food. And, hey, I’m most causes’ target audience.

  realize_ink @socialedge Yes! Almost unusual to hear “offline” contact these days, but still so necessary. Long live meet-ups!

  zerostrategist A6: Use the tech tools sparingly (cause it can be the source of the burnout), have real world events that allow people to just be

  realize_ink A6: Also fond of influencer strat. Citizen ambassadors (non-celebrities!!) who champion the issue & inspire others 2 take action.

  rootwork @realize_ink Yes – and thus, map your network of support first (shades of @valdiskrebs)

  rootwork lesson #4change RT @echoditto Ben Wikler fr @avaaz on tcktcktck “Key to doing this effectively is listening to ppl you’re trying to inspire”

  Q7. How do economic conditions effect cause fatigue?

  rootwork #4change A7: People who have to work more are (or at least feel that they should be) volunteering less

  yellowbuzz @rootwork true, although unemployment can lead to more time for reflecting/mobilizing/getting-involved.

  rootwork @yellowbuzz I think it depends on your socioeconomic base. Those with means can volunteer for awhile, it’s true.

  rootwork @yellowbuzz NYT actually wrote about the phenomenon of well-to-do unemployed volunteering at higher rates http://nyti.ms/9CPyuL

  zerostrategist #4Change A7: Those with jobs will be expected to more for less…or else! Those who don’t will become more become more active!

  yellowbuzz A7: economic downturn motivates ppl to question status quo and existing social condition (one hopes). An opportunity #4change. 2 optimistic?

  zerostrategist A7: …as a result #change #fatigue will go up on both sides of the cause, creating pressure + stress, but also making opportunity

  socialedge @pamelahawley tips on engaging folks as volunteers http://bit.ly/a7cLb6 in bad econ-be part of something greater, gain new skills

  Q8. How can cause fatigue be prevented?

  insearchofsanuk Best strategy is not to let them get burnt out. Work #4change for the right reasons and dont let supporters loose sight of those.

  realize_ink @zerostrategist A8: keep campaign realistic and asks under control. And, whenever possible, collaborate, collaborate, collaborate.

  yellowbuzz A8: streamlined mission statement with clearly defined goals. a strong communication network that allows flexibility/feedback.

  zerostrategist @yellowbuzz You are right Wendy if you don’t have those things lined up, #cause #fatigue will ensue…the trick is to be dynamic 2

  zerostrategist A8: I think an emphasis on the informal tends to be a most effective way to involve and educate is what lasts over the long term

  dwightturner Variety. Have diverse ways people can participate. Know the signs of burn out. Make people take breaks.

  zerostrategist I think @dwightturner is right on this one, the secret to preventing #cause #fatigue is to know the signs and know your people

  yellowbuzz @dwightturner totally agreed. Spread the networks widely. a #4Change diaspora? agents in various locations/backgrounds can refresh org

  realize_ink A8: Needs to be fairly organic. Let change agents, not org, play key role. Org sets goals, agents can guide tactics, platforms.

  yellowbuzz A8: media/event-detox – reconnect with close friends and family – reevaluate/reflect life’s mission
  Q9. How do you “recharge” when completely fatigued?

  rootwork Is Q9 about us as organizers/staffers, or how we encourage supporters/volunteers to recharge?

  realize_ink @zerostrategist are we talking internal recharge?

  zerostrategist @realize_ink Totally an open question answer it however YOU like!

  realize_ink A9: If internal, I’d again lead with the thank yous. Not nearly enuf expressed to staff, organizers.

  rootwork A9: Valentines to your volunteers!

  insearchofsanuk Why did you participate to begin with? Clear distractions & let the initial energy be used to reinvigorate you.

  realize_ink A9: Personally, I go back to root source & remind myself why I’m championing the cause in the 1st place. Works wonders!

  insearchofsanuk @realize_ink whoa. we tweet alike

  zerostrategist A9: The way I recharge #4Change: disconnect from technology, be with family, friends, nature, ocean and just being me http://bit.ly/aMySug

  socialedge “what if we could create a way to give back that doesn’t feel like sacrifice at all?” http://bit.ly/dvOxr7

  realize_ink A9: Our shop has volunteer days -use work days 2 cr8 hands-on change. Often gets folks recharged. Goes back to letting agents lead.

  realize_ink @zerostrategist Yes! Falling off the grid is a fabulous recharge. Think we all need to do it more often.

  zerostrategist Lastly I want to dedicate today / this month’s #4Change Chat to @engagejoe who is currently recharging in the mountains of Vermont

  Chat Resource Roundup

  I know everyone appreciates case studies and links to resources that #4Change Chat participants share. While the conversation is happening not everyone has the time to click through and read all of the resources. So here is a round up of the relevant links shared:

  Disaster Donations in the age of Disruption -

  http://philanthropy.blogspot.com/2010/01/disaster-donations-in-age-of-disruption.html

  Why We are in the Age of the Citizen Philanthropist –

  http://mashable.com/2010/01/28/citizen-philanthropist/

  Issue Fighting for Attention and Funds in an Aware World –

  http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/funding/issue-fatigue-2013-fighting-for-attention-and-funds-in-an-aware-world-1

  Chase Community Giving Contest Ends With Yet More Controversy –

  http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2010/01/chase-giving-contest-winners-announced-amidst-controversy-.html?cid=6a00d8345159b069e20120a801b3a7970b

  Without a Job, but Working on the Campaign Trail –

  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/nyregion/08campaigns.html?_r=1

  Help Maximizing Volunteer Impact -

  http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/business-building/archive/2009/09/10/help-maximizing-volunteer-impact

  Issue Fatigue: What’s The Cure? –

  http://havefundogood.blogspot.com/2009/02/issue-fatigue-whats-cure.html

  The Social Enterprise Conference: Reflections on Service –

  http://www.socialearth.org/reflections-on-service-and-the-social-enterprise-conference

  Disclosure – This post is cross-posted on Zero Strategist and #4Change Blog

   
• 

  #4Change February Twitter Chat Topic: Cause Fatigue

  Zero Strategist 5:57 pm on February 9, 2010 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: #4change (6), Campaigning (5), Cause (2), Events (2), Fatigue (2), Microblog (3), Social Media, Twitter (10)

  Running campaigns in support of one or many great causes can be very time consuming and demanding for all of those who are determined to make a change. It seems easier in the beginning when a fresh campaign for a cause is just launched – supporters are jumping on board, influencers are engaged, buzz is flying about, awareness is spreading, change is happening. But what happens when the social magic begins to wear off and change starts to feel more like a chore then a contribution?

  The #4Change Topic for February is Cause Fatigue. The Twitter chat will occur on Thursday, February 11th 2010 at 5PM EST / 2PM PST US. The topic idea for this month’s chat was spawned during last month’s #4Change chat on campaigning. In keeping with the tradition of these chats, we want to keep things open, organic, and dynamic.

  Definitions:

  Fatigue (Noun)

  • temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
  • boredom resulting from overexposure to something
  • the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  • a flaw or weak point

  Fatigue (Verb)

  • get tired of something or somebody
  • exhaust or tire through overuse or great strain or stress

  Source: Visual Thesaurus

  #4Change February Chat Questions:

  1. How do you define cause fatigue?
  2. What are some of the contributing factors to cause fatigue?
  3. What strategies can be used to reinvigorate support for a cause when supporters get burned out?
  4. When do you expand your campaign to outreach to new supporters?
  5. When do you contract your campaign to focus on the supporters you do have?
  6. What tools can be used to keep communities engaged in the midst of cause fatigue?
  7. How do economic conditions effect cause fatigue?
  8. How can cause fatigue be prevented?
  9. How do you “recharge” when completely fatigued?

  New to #4Change? Learn More:

  To learn more about #4Change monthly twitter chat go to the #4Change Blog, read about #4Change and search twitter for #4Change. To participate just join in twitter conversation from anywhere in the world.

  Disclosure – This post is cross-posted on Zero Strategist and #4Change Blogs

   
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  January #4Change Topic: Campaigning

  amysampleward 2:59 pm on January 3, 2010 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Campaigning (5), campaigns, case studies, Delicious, Online Communities (3), Social Media, Social Network (2), strategy, Twitter (10)

  The January #4Change Twitter Chat will focus on the use of Twitter and other social media tools in campaigning.

  About the Topic

  Campaigning can mean many different things and we want to keep the definition of the topic fairly open for this chat, in order to keep insights, resources and conversation in the Q/A format as open to valuable input as possible.  Here are some ways that campaigning can be framed for the purpose of this chat:

  • moving canvassing door to door to online networks
  • political action
  • local community building
  • tying communications, partners, and actions together via social media
  • social change projects or programs locally or globally

  The way we examine the use of social media in campaigning can be further framed in some of these ways:

  1. change campaigns (internal vs external), also organization type variations
  2. social media change campaigns (specific nuances)
  3. change campaigns vs political campaigns (similarities vs differences)
  4. educational campaigns (organizational / institutional / internet) riffing off of last month’s topic
  5. building campaign coalitions & recruiting campaign champions

  How to Participate

  Share your ideas now:

  You can share your ideas about the topic as well as any resources, case studies, examples, research etc. by leaving a comment on this blog post.  Or, you can tag your resources or posts using Delicious with the tag “4change” and we’ll pick it up for you.

  Join the Twitter chat:

  1. If you want to contribute to the conversation, you’ll need to have a twitter account (it’s free).
  2. To follow the conversation (whether you are planning to contribute or not), use http://search.twitter.com or another application to search on Twitter for #4Change
  3. Jump in to the conversation by adding #4Change to your Twitter message
  4. Feeling brave? Check out TweetChat – it’s a great application that integrates with your Twitter account and makes chats more fun! You can turn it off after the chat.

  Rules for #4Change Chat

  1. #4Change will be structured around a series of questions which all participants can respond to. Send your questions to @memeshift to have them considered.
  2. Introduce yourself in 1 tweet at the start or when you join.
  3. Stay on topic!
  4. Be cool.

  Details

  • Date: January, 14th 2010
  • When: 2 – 4 pm US Pacific Time, 5 – 7 pm US Eastern Time, 10pm – 12am London, UK (Late!)
  • Where: Twitter (search for #4Change)
  • Topic: Campaigning: How is social/new media affecting the the way we build and conduct campaigns? and more!

  We’ll update this post with specific questions to be asked during the chat and will capture resources and conversations from the chat, too.  Send us your ideas!

  —–

  UPDATE: Here are the conversation starters we’ll be using in tonight’s chat.

  1. How do we define campaigning in the context of social media?
  - does growing a Facebook Fan page numbers count?
  - does growing an email list count?
  - what about calls to action that aren’t online?

  2. Given our definition, what are some of the best examples you’ve seen? Why?

  3. What are elements in these examples that are integral to the campaign’s success?

  4. What are the most difficult aspects of managing/running a campaign?

  5. What are the best ways for would-be campaigners to identify possible collaborators/partners?
  - other orgs to champion campaign
  - sponsors to put some skin ($) in the game
  - influencers and influential communities to reach out to and engage

  

   
• 

  Non-profit video: Ashoka at the Clinton Global Initiative

  tomjd 3:09 pm on October 5, 2009 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Social Media, video

  During the week of  September 21 I was laid up with a bad back and while I was it was very cool to see all the videos produced by the Ashoka Team at the Clinton Global Initiative. The increasing use of video at Ashoka, and at citizen sector organizations overall, is wonderful to see. A year ago Ashoka’s approach to video was very traditional – footage would be shot and, time-permitting, edited into something usable. Now the focus is on fast, one-take, minimally edited videos that can be shared live or very rapidly with our online audience. It’s our immersion into social media that inspires this new approach – being involved in a real-time conversation with our supporters and peers creates an emphasis on timeliness and humanness. To this end people from different parts of the Ashoka family where profiled at CGI: Fellows, staff and supporters.

  It was the first-time we’ve emphasized video as a reporting tool from a live event like this. We have learnt a lot from this pilot and will be using this learning to better cover future events, including our Tech 4 Society conference in Hyderabad India in February next year, one of the biggest gatherings we have hosted.

  These learnings include improved coordination between the production of videos and the conversation at and about the event. For instance, if we see an Ashoka Fellow or staff member saying something interesting or profound over their twitter feed we should try and grab them as soon as possible and get them to expand on those thoughts on video. This would more powerfully embed our videos into the conversation, rather than just using the twitter conversation as just an outreach platform.

  The ongoing development of Ashoka’s online communities and the clear interest and enthusiasm for stories from the Ashoka network has inspired this greater focus on developing timely content that can be shared with these communities. The understanding of the importance and benefits of this approach is becoming widespread across the organization, such that it barely requires me to suggest let alone implement these efforts. And that, to me, is the most exciting thing of all, evidence of the real culture-change taking place at Ashoka as we become more social, more participatory and more focused on storytelling.

  Here are a couple of my favourite of our videos from CGI:

  Ashoka Fellow Harmish Hande:

  And a super-cute video with my boss, head of Global Marketing Beverly Schwartz:

  You can see all the Ashoka CGI videos here.

  Tom is the Digital Marketing Strategist at Ashoka and a founder member of the 4change collective. This is cross-posted from Tom’s personal blog.

  
   
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  September #4Change Chat Topic: Change Failure

  Zero Strategist 11:24 am on September 9, 2009 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: #FAIL, Change Management (3), Enterprise 2.0, Failure, Nonprofit 2.0 (2), Nonprofits (3), Social Entrepreneurship (2), Social Media

  My experience since I started working in the social media field is that the failures are where you learn the most as a community manager, a social media manger, a change manger, a professional and as a person.

  

  Yet, organizations tend to have a low tolerance for failure even though it is failure that often leads to innovations and improvements in products, services or processes. Leaders often blame change managers or teams who do not control the source or circumstances which cause the “failure.” Having a low tolerance for small failures can actually lead to more catastrophic failures.

  Though many orgs flaunt their “lessons learned” they are not all written down, distributed, or accessible depending on the enterprise architecture. Too often, these lessons end up on individuals’ computers, shared drives or locked away in portals and are not shared in order to prevent repeated mistakes. Most organizations lack the enterprise 2.0 tools that they need to help their workers become more efficient at their jobs.  This lack of tools can prevent individuals from learning from their previous missteps and reaching full productive work potential. There is also general lack of integrated risk management systems in business for employees to submit risks to the organization for tracking, sourcing and mitigation. The workers on the front lines of the change are often the first to see signs of trouble yet, in most org structures, they have the least interaction with upper management.

  I think that the previous blog post by Tom is a great lead into this month’s discussion and #4CHANGE chat topic.  The 4Change Team thinks that this topic is a really important.

  #4 Change September Chat Topic: Change Failure / Change #Fails

  #4Change Chat Questions on Change Failure:

  1. What is the value of failure?
  2. What roles do change failures play in furthering larger change campaigns in organization?
  3. What constitutes change failure / success inside and outside of your organization?
  4. As a change/community manager, how do you handle separation / transition issues with the community and the organization?
  5. How do failures in society, business and government affect change in non-profits?

  

  Here are some background definitions to stir your thoughts about this months topic.

  Failure (definitions from Visual Thesaurus):

  • an act that fails
  • an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose
  • lack of success
  • a person with a record of failing, someone who loses consistently
  • an unexpected omission
  • inability to discharge all your debts as they come due
  • loss of ability to function normally
  • condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
  • a mistake resulting from neglect
  • your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
  • an event that happens
  • an act that does not achieve it’s intended goal

  Success:

  • an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
  • an attainment that is successful
  • a state of prosperity or fame
  • a person with a record of successes
  • the condition of prospering; having good fortune
  • the act of achieving an aim
  • an event that happens

  Change:

  • an event that occurs when something passes from one stat or phase to another
  • a relational difference between states; especially between states before and after some event
  • the action of changing something
  • the result of alteration or modification
  • a thing that is different phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
  • something done (usually as apposed to something said)

  Please feel free to leave question and comments on this subject and if you have open case studies or links to resources on the topic. Cross-posted from Todd’s Zero Strategist  Blog.
  

  
  

   
• 

  August #4Change Chat: Opportunities for Collaboration

  amysampleward 6:43 am on August 10, 2009 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amnesty International, Collaboration (2), Global, International, Online Communities (3), Social Media, Social Network (2), Twitter (10)

  The next #4change chat is this Thursday – I hope you can join us!

  Details:

  • Date: August, 13th
  • Where: Twitter (search for #4Change)
  • When: 5 – 7 pm US Eastern Time
  • Topic: How do social media open new doors for collaboration (especially internationally)?

  Starting the Conversations

  Unfortunately for me, I will unable to join the chat this Thursday; so, I’d like to offer some conversation starters now to get you thinking of questions, ideas, and stories you want to share!

  Here are some questions to consider:

  • has your organization found new collaborators (other organizations, companies, networks, etc.) for your work via social media use/presence?
  • have you reached out, either as an individual or an organization, with opportunities to collaborate to others you only connected with via social media? why?
  • what issues are unique to collaborations of this type?
  • what kind of reassurances (and what are the mechanisms for providing them) are unique to parties entering collaborations via social media?
  • how could collaborations enabled or maintained via social media be more or less sustainable than traditional tools/outlets?

  And here are some examples to consider:

  • SocialActions – a great example of social media powering the sharing and aggregation (and thus the collaboration and partnership) of social action opportunity portals all over the world
  • Amnesty International, Red Cross, and others – organizers working globally/locally have changed the way they campaign or operate now that they are really in the same space (online)
  • Journalism – writers are now using their social media platforms (whether it’s Twitter or Facebook, or even the newspaper’s comment-enabled websites) to collaborate with witnesses, locals, and experts for their contributions to the story

  Join the Conversation

  1. If you want to contribute to the conversation, you’ll need to have a twitter account (it’s free).
  2. To follow the conversation (whether you are planning to contribute or not), use http://search.twitter.com or another application to search on Twitter for “#4Change”
  3. Jump in to the conversation by adding “#4Change” (without the “”) to your Twitter message

  Rules for #Change Chats

  1. #4Change will be structured around a series of questions which all participants can respond to. Send your questions to @tomjd without the hash tag (to keep them out of the stream) to have them considered.
  2. Introduce yourself in 1 tweet at the start or when you join.
  3. Stay on topic!
  4. Stay cool.

  Join us for the chat this Thursday – looking forward to discussing the role social media play in collaboration!

  
   
• 

  Revolutionary social media

  Natasha 8:57 am on July 26, 2009 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: #4change (6), Social Change (7), Social Media

  “The revolution will not be televised – it will be emailed, texted, blogged, wikied…”

  So says the blurb of Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody: How change happens when people come together.   But, earlier this month, the #4change crew discovered first hand the limitations of social media.  At the first of our ‘Revolutionary Social Media’ chats, the Twitter search was experiencing major delays and people disappeared from altogether, and as a result, we decided to end the conversation early.  Amy’s fantastic post covers the ‘lessons learned in using twitter for a global conversation’.  Here, I’m going to pick up the baton and provide an overview of the discussion which resumed on July 23.

  Looking back through the twitter stream, some of the issues raised included:

  • Lessons learned from the Iran election, from the icon changing, the State Department and Twitter maintenance, whether awareness-raising should been seen as a success only if it motivates action or whether it’s an end-goal in itself.

  1: Create unrealistic expectations for Twtr hashtag 2: Declare #iranelection revolution 3: Democracy unrealized, proclaim social change dead

  @rootwork 4:46 AM Jul 9th http://twitter.com/rootwork/status/2548985606

  • The changing role of television and other traditional media sources from breaking the news to explaining it.
  • Social media may not be the way to coordinate protests or revolutionary activity, due to the public nature of posting.  Social networks, email, mobile, etc are a more private way to coordinate activity.
  • Different situations require different levels of anonymity.

  Anonymity depends on who you are. If you are a protester in China – anonymity is important.

  If you are trying to be a thought leader in the western world, I don’t think anonymity is the right way to go.

  @Sue_Anne Jul 23, 2009 10:06 PM GMT

  • How social media and Web 2.0 tools can be used to keep governments accountable.  mySociety’s They Work For You cited as an example.  Benefits in governments – like any brand – keeping an eye on what’s been said about them in social media.
  • Whether social media tools, such as Twitter, are inherently politically neutral and as such, whether they should bend to a particular government’s needs.

  I’ve gone through the stream and saved all the links which were referenced in the discussions, on delicious as well.

  It was a really interesting chat, and for me personally, a huge learning opportunity.  Many thanks to everyone who took part.  Feel free to add things I’ve missed, your own take-aways or thoughts on the topic below.  Let’s keep the conversation going.

   
• 

  4Change Chat: Revolutionary social media - social tools for revolts, protests

  amysampleward 2:56 pm on July 7, 2009 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Campaigning (5), Organizing, Revolt, Revolution, Social Change (7), Social Media, Twitter (10)

  The next #4change chat has been announced and I hope you can join in!
  

  Details:

  • Date: Thursday, July 9 (moved to July, 23rd – today! – same time)
  • Where: Twitter (search for #4Change)
  • When: 5 – 7 pm US Eastern Time
  • Topic: Revolutionary social media: Exploring social tools for revolts, upheavals & protests

  Why are we doing this and why would you want to join? Great questions:

  Social media is becoming a key driver of social change, allowing for the dissemination of new ideas, the formation of new communities and coalitions and the realization of new efficiencies and reach by existing social change groups. Throughout the world activists, organizers and non-profit professionals are exploring how best to use these tools, and sharing the results using the tools themselves. However these conversations are less international and therefore less effective than they could be.

  We have so much to learn from each other. From new forms of political campaigning in the United States, experiments in e-government and civic participation in England, from the fight against internet censorship in Australia and New Zealand and from start-ups in Canada and France. And beyond.

  We need a platform for light-weight, easily-organized and openly accessible conversations involving people from numerous countries. Twitter, I believe, provides us with such a platform.

  When do the chats take place?

  Chats are on the second Thursday of each month between 5-7pm US Eastern Time (GMT-4).

  Who is leading and participating in these chats?

  #4Change was initially proposed by Tom Dawkins (@tomjd) in Washington DC who is joined by Todd Pitt (@zerostrategist – Washington DC), Morgan Sully (@memeshfit – Oakland, California), Natasha Judd (@tashjudd – London, England), Edward Harran (@edwardharran – Brisbane, Australia) and Vibewire (@vibewire – Sydney, Australia).

  But the #4Change chats are open to everyone interested in discussing social media’s role in social change! Don’t be shy about joining—that’s one great thing about an open, public chat like this, you can follow along silently until you have something you want to say and no one will know

  How can you follow along or join the conversation?

  1. If you want to contribute to the conversation, you’ll need to have a twitter account (it’s free).
  2. To follow the conversation (whether you are planning to contribute or not), use http://search.twitter.com or another application to search on Twitter for “#4Change”
  3. Jump in to the conversation by adding “#4Change” (without the “”) to one of your Twitter messages

  Are there any rules for #Change Chats?

  1. #4Change will be structured around a series of questions which all participants can respond to. Send your questions to @tomjd without the hash tag (to keep them out of the stream) to have them considered.
  2. Introduce yourself in 1 tweet at the start or when you join.
  3. Stay on topic!
  4. Stay cool.

  Join me for the chat this Thursday – looking forward to discussing the role competitions play in social change!

   
• 

  #4Change logo design brief

  Natasha 12:13 am on June 25, 2009 | Comments Permalink | Reply
  Tags: #4change (6), Design, Logo (2), Social Media

  We’re looking for a logo which captures the #4change concept.  Are you up for the challenge?  Check out the design brief below to find out more.

  About #4Change

  #4Change is a monthly twitter chat about how social media is driving change.  With a host committee spread across the US, the UK and Australia, and participants joining in worldwide, the #4Change chats are a chance to share social media learnings and best practice on an international stage. 

  Around the twitter chats, ideas will continue to be shared and discussed via blogs, social bookmarking and other web 2.0 tools.  The #4Change blog – currently at http://4change.memeshift.com, but ultimately moving to its own domain – will be the central point of reference for those looking for information about the chats.

  About you

  We’re looking for talented and enthusiastic designers to pitch ideas for the #4Change logo.  Sadly, there’s no money in it – we’re all working on this in our spare time – but it’s a way to get involved in something that’s only going to get bigger with time.  Of course, we’ll also give credit on the #4Change blog.

  Requirements

  We’re looking for a #4Change logo which will reflect the inspiring and engaging nature of the #4Change concept.  The #4Change audience are largely social media enthusiasts – through professional activity, study and/or personal interest, so we need a logo which can stand alongside the best Web 2.0 logos (see http://web2list.com/logos/).

  It’ll need to work in the header of a blog, and also have a 100px x 100px avatar and 16px x 16px favicon version.

  While the primary use of this logo will be online, we’d appreciate a high quality .eps version which can be used in print if this becomes necessary later on.  Also, while the focus of the brief is on the logo, we wouldn’t say no to a palette of colours which would work alongside it, so we can coordinate our digital assets. 

  Essentials

  The hash symbol; the number 4; the word Change.  The rest is up to you.

  Interested?

  Leave a comment below or tweet @ one of the #4change crew (@tomjd, @zerostrategist, @memeshift, @tashjudd, @edwardharran, @amyrsward, @engagejoe).