I liked Godin’s tribes so much here are some more thoughts

This started life as an internal IBM post, to my tribe there, however, I liked it so much I wanted to share it more widely, just changed a few words.

As I have mentioned before I am so pleased that Seth Godin’s tribes book is as good as it is. Seth states these 5 things to do and 6 principles that as leaders (which we all can be should we choose to connect with people and care about something) we should do.

life at the moment

Every leader cares for and supports a movement, that movement can now be 10 people, 10,000 people, community, work colleagues, global or local.

The 5 things to do really should resonate for anyone who has chosen to associate with eightbar and/or the internal IBM Virtual Universe Community. If you have a passion and want people to gather around then this helps (as this worked for eightbar out of instinct it may help to see some structure to let you know how doable this is to make change).

This is particulary interesting given the doom and gloom at the moment. This is precisely when the leaders of the future will already be working the networks.

 

Things to do

1. Publish a manifesto (it does not have to be written just known)

2. Make it easy for follower to connect with you

3. Make it easy for followers to connect to one another

4. Realize that money is not the point of a movement, it exists to enable it. The moment you cash out you stunt your movement

5. Track your progress, publicly

 

Principles

1. transparency is the only option

2. movement needs to be bigger than you

3. movements that grow thrive

4. movements are made most clear when compared to the status quo i.e. when they are noticebly different not the same as another movement

5. exclude outsiders (a powerful force is who is not part of the movement)

6. tearing others down is never as helpful as building followers up

 

If you consider the first 5 things to do and think eightbar.

1. Publish a manifesto – we exist to explore virtual worlds and web2.0, to look out for one another and help as best we can.

2. Make it easy to connect with you, well, blogs, Second Life, phone, email, inside and outside the firewall. everyone is important.

3. Make it easy for followers to connect with each other. as above. Thats the beauty of the virtual world as the movement enabler.

4. Realize money is not the point. There may be some corporate arguing on this, but as with Linden their mission statement is to improve the human condition. There is profit in this, but the purpose is to make life better, for us to connect more to be able to share ideas and get things done. If those things are ‘business’ then great, if they are philanthropic then great too. (This fits nicely with smart planet I think)

5. Track your progress, publicly….. Er yes. http://www.eightbar.com and this blog and all the other blogs and twitters etc. The worst thing we do is keep things to ourselves.

 

On the principles I think they are fairly obvious. The exclusion (5) may seem a little strange,but if you think about it, eightbar was for IBMers as a group or movement to join. We have a few external advisors, alumni and guests occassionally. However the flag we rallied around was IBMers with a passion for change, and enabling that with virtual worlds.

 

So, anyone, absolutely anyone has the ability to share what they are doing and gather people interested in that around them. The web lets this happen. So next time you are thinking I wish x would happen or y would get going, dont wait. Web 2 is Web do. Start now. If you have an excuse as to why not, protecting your position, too many emails, the world does not work like that, thats the way it has always been etc. well you are missing out of making a real difference to a whole lot of people.

Its not easy to carry on leading, you may get laughed at, criticized but that usually indicates you are doing the right thing. I also dont think the people hammering on you will ever stop either, if they do you need to take it further.

So what are you waiting for. Get on with it.

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About epredator

Director of metaverse and emerging tech consultancy http://www.feedingedge.co.uk Former IBM Consulting IT Specialist with 18 years at the company Games player epredator xbox live tag. epredator potato in second life

4 thoughts on “I liked Godin’s tribes so much here are some more thoughts

  1. So the funny part about “2. Make it easy for follower to connect with you” is that I saw you twitter that you’d posted this in BC and on eightbar. This was the easiest way to read your post. You’ve given me much food for thought. Thanks for sharing! Jen

  2. Robbie thankyou 🙂
    Jen thats a great example of things working because they span the net. Thanks for telling me 🙂

  3. Pingback: On being part of a tribal movement « The lost outpost

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