When does a community become a herd, with a herd mentality? And how can leaders of a community prevent this from happening, without stifling the community? Photo by sean_hickin
Last week, I attended my first Ignite Boulder event. The day after the event, I spent time writing and discussing just what I felt and observed when a community of 800+ people get together, for a fun night out. Now, I'm left with the residue of anger, angst, sadness, and lots of reflection about where we are headed as a society. And the question about what happens when a community becomes a herd.
What I experienced at Ignite Boulder is a symptom of our society at large. These are the early adopters, the intelligentsia, the creatives who start companies or work in start-ups. They are not only a product of our society but they also lead the way in shaping the next chapter. I say this not to be smug but rather an assessment of who Boulder attracts and who Ignite Boulder attracts. Photo by purpleslog.
The Ignite Boulder event is described on the website as:
"….a night of presentations with a twist. Presenting on a subject of their choice, speakers have exactly five minutes to teach something, enlighten us, or simply inspire—backed by twenty slides auto-advancing every fifteen seconds. Quick, fun, and smart, we sell out the Boulder Theater."
I didn't know what to expect other than that I would be in a crowd of smart, funny people, watching other smart, funny people, who are courageous enough to be on stage being smart and funny. This is the equivalent of stand up comedy for nerds. The format of the evening can easily breed gluttons in the audience, looking for the next tasty morsel (myself included.)
Observation #1: As a society, we have gotten used to snacking instead of the full meal. Sometimes the snacks are nutritious. But just as often, they end up being junk food. Photo by Greencolander.
At the beginning of the evening,the emcee of the event gave the rules of engagement. I was surprised that this included encouraging the audience to participate, by talking back, and even heckling. He described it in terms of two sumo wrestlers, the speakers on one side and the audience on the other. As the evening wore on, I felt the uneasiness of a modern version of the Roman Colosseum. Who would be thrown to the lions next and how would the presenter react? For some, the pressure to be the evening's hip edutainment meant that they amped up the bravado or the self-righteousness or both. For others, I could see that they clearly wanted to get to the end of the presentation by the fourth slide. What was lost in most of the presentations (14 in all) was a genuine message, borne of someone's experience, that could be taken in and digested.
Observation #2: As a society, we have gotten confused between true public discourse, based on respect for differing views, and raw communication of impulses and feelings. And we prefer raw communication, especially when in a crowd. Photo by JMRosenfeld.
To the emcee's credit, he sensed the crowd turning, becoming more of a mob than a community. He reminded the audience that "we are a community" and that it took courage to be speaking in front of 800+ people. But no matter. The vibe of the evening had already been set by the opening remarks. The audience was just feeding off of it.
Observation #3: As a society and in communities, we take our cue from our leaders. And when leaders behave badly or misjudge the power of their words, we are all given permission to behave badly.
This was the tenth time that Ignite Boulder had been held. Looking at the schedule of past events, the organizers have kept up a dizzying pace of holding these sell out gatherings every 6-8 weeks for the last 18 months. There's an army of volunteers who put the show on. The proceeds go to charity. What started out as a way to highlight talent and interesting people in Boulder has become a local version of American Idol, for our own amusement.
Observation #4: We can start out with good intentions and end up with bad results. Communities and society evolve to something that no one ever intended. Both need tending and nurturing. Otherwise, it's easy to rationalize that the end justifies the means.
As you would expect, there is a definite feeling of an "inner circle", that there are insiders at Ignite Boulder. Nothing wrong with that. It's what happens with all communities. (Think: 80/20 rule, 20% of the people account for 80% of the contributions.) However, the trap is thinking that the inner circle is smarter than the collective. It is not. Some of the most uneven presentations of the evening came from speakers who were chosen by the organizers and unprepared for what they were getting into. Listen to what the entire community wants and needs, not just what the insider thinks is best.
Observation #5: As a society and in communities, it can be seductive to view the inner circle as "the anointed." We are all learning, together. None of us is as smart as all of us. The stray voice will often be the one that needs to be heard the most. Photo by byrne7214
I don't have any easy answers. I do have a new appreciation for the role of community managers. It requires a level of humility, listening, compassion, and leadership that is rare.
This blog is about being a wisdom entrepreneur and how to turn an idea into a sustainable movement, by building a thriving community. I'm grateful for the learning that comes with seeing communities fail, just as much as with seeing them succeed.
This is so true! I especially agree with your last point, that it’s often the stray voice that we all need the most. And it’s easy for those who have started off feeling like the stray voices to not see how much of a herd they are becoming.
This is also a cautionary tale for all who find themselves with some influence, whether it’s over an event or a group of people. The tone we set can make a big difference, between a negative and positive experience.
Carol
I admire your courage, clarity and specificity in both reporting and commenting on what transpired. It serves as a lesson to all of us as more individuals press for greater interactivity in their meetings and conferences. Even upfront, simple rules of agreement for civility may not be enough when the crowd turns toward groupthink mob behavior. As a paid speaker i see professional meeting planners struggling with this issue – trying to be hip, current and responsive to the audiences they serve when that “audience” usually includes people with a wide range of expectations for interaction, from Q & A at the end to live twitter coverage on a front screen.
A variation of this effect is happening as more people are self-organizing into groups that think alike in the U.S. As they do their ideas become more extreme and deeply felt – thus leading to greater polarization between groups and individuals and less wide intake of ideas and civil conversation and debate. That’s the conclusion of two books, The Big Sort and Going to Extremes.
~ another fan of your blog
A few extra points: over half the audience had been to more than two Ignites. We are a tight community, and if you have not seen the evolution of the event, it might seem a bit odd. The inner circle is at 400 people now, interesting to see someone find out and attend the event that wasn’t welcomed in.
The speakers are not professional, most of them have never spoken in front of a group over 30. The big message I see is people taking a chance, stepping up and trying something new. Some work out really well, some don’t. We can’t expect every one to fly.
As organizers, we have tried something out, and it has been wildly successful. We are going to grow, evolve and listen, thanks for your commentary.
Simon–thanks for your comments. Re: stray voices becoming the herd. Makes me think of the metaphor of the frog in boiling water. Although I’m not sure it has the right implication!
Re: use of influence. Yes, agree with impact. Make me think of the phrase, “psychological size”, which is to say, because of one’s position, someone can say very few words and have a huge impact (think Fed Reserve chairman).
Kare–Thanks for your kind words as well as your insight on expectations for interaction. This is one of the harder posts I’ve written (I started it three times…)as I wanted to put this in context and be fair to all involved.
I particularly appreciate your comment about polarization. I agree that without civility and respect for thoughtful debate in the mix, tribes can become insular, a clique unto themselves that only serves to reinforce their world view. It’s made me realize the importance of boundary crossers (see my blog, http://www.boundarycrosser.com). Thanks for the references to the two books. I’ll check them out.
Andrew–thanks for chiming in with additional information. As chief organizer of Ignite Boulder, it says a lot about who you are to join this conversation. I’m fascinated by the fact that half the audience had experienced something different in previous Ignites (I’m assuming less heckling) and are considered part of the community. It gives credence to Kare’s point on groupthink/mob behavior–how it can turn on a dime, even if the “culture of the community” is different.
Re: not being welcomed in. That’s not the case, as I sat with friends and saw friends at the event. It’s separate from the experience of being part of a herd. There’s the individual treatment, and then there’s the collective experience, which can be quite different.
Re: Speakers. Appreciate your perspective that not everyone will fly and that the big message is to take a chance. Agree that speakers should be given huge credit, respect for taking that chance. I’m just not sure what message it sends when the crowd decides that failure should be punctuated with not just silence but rubbing it in.
Re: Couldn’t agree more that this event has been wildly successful and the work and leadership that you and others have put into it are to be commended. The question in my mind is how to evolve in a manner that stays true to your original intentions, yet allows this to go where it needs to go (e.g., scaling even more.) How can the speaker’s need to perform be balanced with a genuine message that serves? How can a crowd of 800+ be respectful and in meaningful dialogue with the speakers? How can the risk of failure (or public humiliation) be considered in the context of learning and growth? How can we be hip and still say, “good enough?”
Again, more questions than answers, which is the mark of an engaging conversation. Thanks for the conversation.
Hi Carol!
This is a thoughtful and compelling post! I applaud your courage and the clarity reflected in your observations and analysis. I watched the YouTube opening for Ignite Boulder 10 to get a flavor for the set up of the evening. And while I see Andrew’s point (made here) that not everyone will fly, I think concept of a Sumo match is flawed. I can only imagine that it sets the audience up not as ready to learn from the presenters’ experiences but to find ways to marginalize them. So, I do get your allusion to a “modern version of the Roman Colosseum.”
In a great Fast Company article, “Why Can’t We Get Anything Done?,” Alan M. Webber points out that one of the reasons things don’t get done in organizations is because people tend to take the fast route to feeling smart – i.e., cut others down. So, if the intent is for speakers to “teach something, enlighten us, or simply inspire,” then audience’s part of the agreement needs to be to give them a chance to deliver their message – and not to engage in a wrestling match for ultimate victory. Seems to me that if we truly want to profit from the experiences of others, we listen first to hear the message – hopefully delivered in a hip and fun way – to see if it resonates. If not, we take that risk ourselves and stand up in front the audience to deliver our message – and not call out, anonymously, from the safety of the crowd.
Carol, I’ll start by saying that since I’ve spoken at several Ignites, I am entering this from an extremely biased point of view. While I do agree with some of the things you said (snacking instead of the full meal, and the danger of the inner circle) – it seems like there are some misguided expectations about what Ignite Boulder is.
It is not TED.
After Ignite Boulder 4, I struggled a lot with what Ignite is, and what it should be. This bothered me for the next few Ignites, until I gave up. The answer was easier than I thought.
Ignite is supposed to be fun. The expectation of those who have been before, and have chosen to return seems to be along the lines of: “I am here to be entertained and have fun, and maybe learn a few things or take home a few nuggets of inspiration”.
This of course is not for everyone, and it’s understandable that the heckling can be particularly off-putting for some people. That said, out of 150 people who have responded to the feedback survey we sent out, only two people cited heckling as a negative aspect of the event. 3 actually mentioned it as their favorite part. 3 people said they would not attend again.
How can you have an event where 98% of the attendees would eagerly return next time? Well, maybe that is part of the problem you are discussing. Is everyone at Ignite too like minded? It’s certainly possible. It’s definitely not clear to me how to change that (or if it’s even a desired outcome). I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.
Is it too focused on entertainment instead of discourse? For some people, yes. For others, no. It depends on your expectations. I’ve pursued that line of argument with a handful of attendees, and many respond the same. “If you want to have a serious, 100% respectful, only-issues-that-really-matter debate or discussion, there are lots of other places in Boulder to find it. I come to Ignite because I like that it is something different.”
Is it for everyone? No. And no, it’s not perfect either. We’re always trying to make it better. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder to do when the most common feedback is “keep it up”.
Thanks for your counterpoint Carol.
Ryan,
Thanks for chiming in with some interesting points. I appreciate your transparency and hearing your own musings (and others’) about what Ignite is and is not.
I agree that different expectations can lead to different experiences. It’s helpful to hear others’ expectations–fun being most important with inspiration/education as the cherry on the top of the sundae.
How are expectations set? I imagine word of mouth, the Ignite site and social media all play a part. It would be interesting to hear what people tell their friends about Ignite Boulder–what words they use and what they emphasize.
All of this leads me to the question, what is your brand? And is the brand consistent with what is espoused on the site (e.g, teach, enlighten or inspire us), how the speakers are picked and prepped, and how the evening is set up by the emcee?
Re: group think. A friend makes the distinction between a tribe and a community, while I had been using them interchangeably. His thinking on tribes: They are meant to keep people out and by definition are insular. It’s the flip side of belonging. His thinking on communities: They have like-minded people AND they offer up a place for those who have a different point of view. They invite others in.
So a question to ponder: Is Ignite Boulder a tribe or a community? And what does it mean to be part of either one?
Given that you are a community manager of Everlater, I would be interested in your thoughts. This is the stuff of shades of gray, not black and white.
Thanks for reading and listening, Ryan. I’m enjoying the dialogue.
Carol,
Brilliant post — thought provoking, honest, and most of all, you communicated your observations with clarity. I especially loved your follow up comment about making a distinction between a tribe and a community. Most people belong to only one tribe in their lives but can be a part of many different communities. Ultimately, a community/tribe leader must have/maintain clarity in the “mission/vision” for the group.
Your Observation#2 resonated with me most; and I wanted to add that we often forget that raw communication on its own is ego-driven and mostly self-serving, but raw communication with a clear purpose (i.e. for the sake of…) is powerful communication that moves people.
Thanks for the post. Most enjoyable.
Thanks for you kind words and your observation about tribes vs. communities. I also appreciate your distinction–raw communication for the sake of what? It’s an important distinction to make and requires self-management, especially in midst of strong emotion!