How Community Groups Destroy Themselves
Posted on | June 14, 2010 | 5 Comments
Managing volunteer groups is tough … it’s tough recruiting people, connecting people, and keeping people on track when different agendas come to the fore (as they always will). But do community groups drive away their best members? The Citizen’s Handbook, a publication by Vancouver Citizens Committee, outlines what causes grassroots rot …
Too little fun.
People who take themselves too seriously can turn any task into a chore. Getting together should feel more like recreation than work, no matter how serious the issue.
Too much emphasis on organization and too little on mission.
Hoping to become more organized, many small groups create little bureaucracies that drain everyone’s energy. Often, so much effort goes into maintaining the organization there is little left to pursue the reason for creating an organization in the first place.
Too many meetings and too little action.
Most people would prefer to act on something concrete rather than sit at a meeting wrangling or trying to “reach consensus.” Some meetings are usually necessary, but try to keep the frequency down, the time short, and the number of participants small.
Too many people.
Because of the emphasis on getting more people involved, many people feel that large groups are better than small groups. This is a mistake. A ‘working group’ should not exceed nine people. This small group does not preclude working with others under the umbrella of a larger group, but it does encourage action more than larger groups do.
The wrong people.
Because building democracy and community involves working with others, most people assume they should welcome anyone interested in joining. But this wholesome impulse can lead to rapid decline. Few are willing to admit what is obvious in any grassroots group: some people are assets and others are liabilities. While every group can handle a small portion of people who are angry, or very combative, or very controlling, or very lonely, or very long-winded, or very out-to-lunch, as the ratio of these people increases, level-headed, friendly, competent people begin to leave. This issue needs to be addressed early, and often.
Too little contact.
It’s hard for people to maintain a working relationship when they see one another infrequently. While once a week is often touted as ideal as it fits into the way people schedule other activities, choose what works best for your group and stick with it.
Too little time.
The greatest barrier to participating in public life is the shortage of discretionary free time. In surging market economies, people spend most of their time working and consuming, leaving little time for friends and family, and no time for civic involvement.
Too short term.
If a group has coalesced around accomplishing a particular end, participants need to realize that keeping up the pressure over an extended time is essential. Expectations of quick victory need to be tempered with the understanding that opponents to change are most often successful just because they hold out longer. As Gandhi said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” But it takes time.
Objectives outmatch resources.
Groups of nine or less can often manage on personal resources. But as group size increases, a shortage of time and money usually leads to spiralling decline. Without paid staff, there is no one to look after organizational housekeeping and no one to train, manage and reward volunteers. As people disappear, many potential grassroots leaders burn out trying to do more and more themselves. A lack of resources does not mean giving up; it does mean inventing clever ways to use time, connections and skills.
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While the print version of the The Citizen’s Handbook is no longer available, it’s been replaced with The Troublemaker’s Teaparty, A Manual for Effective Citizen Action which includes all of the original Handbook plus a lot more material … click here to find out more.
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Tags: community groups > how community groups destroy themselves > Leadership > rural > rurban > The Citizens Handbook
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June 15th, 2010 @ 7:10 am
Thanks for the great post and link to a place to get this handbook. In rural communities, citizen groups are our greatest hope of accomplishing anything, and our greatest obstacle when they are poorly managed. Your post can help turn good intentions into real action!
June 15th, 2010 @ 7:25 am
[...] Check out Jennifer Brooks’ great post on the Rurban Fringe on how avoid the pitfalls when forming an effective community group. “How Community Groups Destroy Themselves.” [...]
June 15th, 2010 @ 9:56 am
@ Joanne – Thanks! There IS information out there – it’s just finding it and putting it to use! Well, that, and common sense and elbow grease …
June 15th, 2010 @ 10:06 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Imagine Canada, Holly Wagg, Vantage Point, Gayle Valeriote, Gayle Valeriote and others. Gayle Valeriote said: A cautionary tale: How Community Groups Destroy Themselves : THE RURBAN FRINGE http://goo.gl/mutS [...]
January 26th, 2011 @ 8:36 am
[...] Address the weeds early on. Like weeds in a recently cultivated field, cynics in the community emerge quickly, before new [...]