Monthly Archives: June 2014

1 Mutual Methods: Community Development

Community development is a recurring theme on this blog because it is a fundamental approach to supporting transformative change.  The big difference between neighbourhood work and other third sector work, is neighbourhoods often lack access to resources.  They have little access to political power that can bring about change.  Very often resources are not available and so the only recourse they have is to organise, by building solidarity or community between local residents.  This is not always easy because neighbourhoods, divided by race, faith or politics, lack common interest.

My aim here, as part of a review of mutual methods, is to point to a few resources.  Community development in the UK has been systematically under-valued, not least by many of its practitioners.  Its role and purpose is sometimes highly contested by practitioners and the upshot has been its devaluation to the extent that most funding for development work has been withdrawn.

Community Development Standards

One result of conflicting approaches is community development workers have never agreed on standards for community development and have never had a representative body.  Whilst the Association of Community Workers and the Community Development Exchange, are examples of attempts to represent the interests of community development workers, there is nothing like the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, for example.  This has had a devastating effect because without a career structure, experienced workers have had to move into other roles if they needed to increase their income.  This means there has never been effective mentoring of new workers or recognition of their expertise as development workers.

Community Development and Activism

One major issue is confusion between development and activism. Some people think this distinction favours development (as an activity carried out by middle class professionals) over activism (carried out by local residents). This is nonsense. Both roles are important but they are different and need different approaches. I do both and find remembering which role I’m playing is really important.

Activism is issue or task driven. The activist’s focus is upon social change or transformation. They take responsibility for seeing a change through. The development workers’ role is to equip activists for their tasks. This is partly knowhow but also understanding how things work and so inevitably has an ideological dimension.

Should the development worker be a local person? Community development can work where the worker is local although local commitment can make the work more difficult where the development worker identifies with the cause. I’ve found it helps to have a little distance from the activists. But each worker needs to understand the dynamic of their particular role.

The model of a development worker in every neighbourhood is not necessarily the best approach. A small team could easily cover a city and equip activists to take on more of the role traditionally taken up by a local development worker. In my experience, a good administrator is of more value than a local development worker.  Indeed, many development workers find they are doing administration because they have the time to do it!  City wide development work reflects the model of citizens’ organising (see next week).

A Community Development Resource

There are loads of books about community development. One of the oldest, still worth reading, is “Skills in Neighbourhood Work “ by Paul Henderson and David N Thomas. The first edition came out in 1980 and the fourth in 2013. The new edition reflects major changes since the first and includes new case studies.

1 Case Study 2: Bristol European Jazz Ensemble

Screenshot of Bristol European Jazz Ensemble website. Click on image for bigger version.

This is my second case study; the first was about Hope for the Future.  The Bristol European Jazz Ensemble was a coaching project mainly.  I should have taken a screen shot of the site before we started work on it.  The one on the right is how is appears at the time of writing.  The project was to equip David, the client, with the skills to maintain the site.  I also carried out some changes to the site.

Bristol European Jazz Ensemble is a WordPress.com site.  WordPress.com is really an enormous website hosting thousands of websites and blogs.  The analogy is perhaps Facebook where, instead of hosting profiles, WordPress.com hosts websites and blogs.  The alternative is WordPress.org, where WordPress has an independent host and so each website/blog stands alone.

One big difference is .com does not have plug-ins.  This makes it less flexible than .org.  It is possible to extend functionality of .com but at a price.

The main market for the client’s site is promoters and venue organisers.  The by-line in the header makes this clear.  Also the home page includes a contact form and invitation to the market to make contact.  The public may also be interested in the site and so the site publicises events featuring the band through the blog.  Promotion of events is usually carried out by other means and so is not a priority for this website.

What We Did

I worked on the site with David, using Skype and email.  It is possible for two people to be logged into the WordPress wp-admin panel simultaneously, although only one can work on the site at a time.  We are a few hundred miles apart and this is just as good as meeting in a room with a digital projector!  I also did some work on the site:

Outcomes

Here are David’s comments on my coaching work with him:

Chris is a meticulous mentor who helped me define what I wanted from him and from the web site. Just articulating the questions and goals was helpful. Even more, it helped motivate me to actually get on and do it in my busy schedule. Chris’s style is unflappable, approachable, analytical, non-judgemental, clear – and clear about what he doesn’t know but can find out. It’s a co-learning exercise as Chris himself improves on his already well-developed skills and I learn to use the website. I recommend Chris to anyone in the creative or voluntary sectors.

Do you like the site?  What additional information would you like to see on it?

0 Blog Post Content

Last Thursday I described my approach to producing blog posts day after day.  This week is about post content.  Everyone approach is different but they will all have some combination of planned and spontaneous posts.

With planned posts you have a theme, divide it into bite sized chunks and follow it, usually publishing at a particular time each day or each week.  With spontaneous posts you are on the lookout for suitable content and post about it as it become available.

Currently, I plan posts each day Monday to Thursday and prepare spontaneous posts on Fridays. (OK they’re not as spontaneous as some people’s posts but I write them in the same week!)  There is no reason I can’t produce spontaneous posts at any time but time constraints mean I find it easier to stay with my established pattern.

I find content through reading and visiting sites online. I draw on experience as a development worker and website designer. It then depends on how it all comes together.

Sequences

Sometimes I plan a sequence, about conversations for example, that evolves in my mind. I sketch out several emails and drop the sketch into a word processor. This means I know where it is. Every post in that sequence is in the same file.

For this sequence about working with a consultant, I used an e-book as a guide. The authors write about how to design a site yourself. I developed a variation on the theme and with a few exceptions have followed their structure. My purpose and content is very different from theirs. They provide detailed instructions, whereas I am more concerned about what you need to know to work with your designer.

I find that once I start writing, the content flows and often surprises me. I know more than I know I know! Often I find I leave my plan because I realise I need an extra post. Maybe a post turns out to be too long and so I need to split it. Or else I realise my original plan did not allow for the information the reader needs to make sense of the theme.

One challenge I have is how to present the posts in sequence. The blog presents them in reverse order and it is a pain to follow a sequence on a blog. Cornerstone Pages are my solution to this problem.

You may find your blog is not so much sequences as discrete posts serving a variety of purposes. Use categories in your navigation. So, for example, if some posts are about events, you can have an events category in your navigation.  Past events can be archived on your site or removed.

How do you write regular blog posts?  Where do you encounter difficulties?

1 Selling Services Online

The difference between products and services is a service is usually a one-off. It is tailor-made for the customer and so takes up more time for the producer than a product, where the same thing can be replicated many times.

So, a book is a product whilst consultancy based on the book, is a service. You would expect the price of a service to acknowledge the extra time and effort involved.

The issue for anyone selling services, online or offline, is scalability. Scalability is how you fit sufficient work into the time available to make a living. There are two ways to do this:

1. Charge a higher price. This works where there are corporate customers who can afford to pay consultants thousands of pounds a month. They do this because the consultant generates more than their fees for the business. In the third sector, this is unlikely to work on the same scale.
2. Develop services to sell to more than one person or organisation at a time. So, rather than one-to-one coaching, you set up group coaching. This means you may be able to do more for the same unit costs. Let’s say you typically charge for a session a sum that means you need to sell twenty a week to make a living. If you can run four sessions for five people, this reduces the work and maintains the income.

If option 2 works for you, then your service is scalable. Hairdressing is an example of a service that is not scalable.

Examples of Scalable Services

To deliver any service requires conversation, even hairdressers need to discuss their service with their customer.  Conversations are central to some services, such as consultancy and coaching.

Coaching is an example of a scalable service. Where coaching is about passing on a skill, eg website maintenance and so a number of people can share the same session. Consultancy may not be so easy where it addresses issues unique to a client.

Masterminds are another example of a scalable service. They bring a group of people together to share their expertise. They pay an organiser who holds the ring and sets the theme for each meeting. So, in a mastermind of website designers participants contribute their work for comment or bring issues or questions about their work for discussion. They are in touch because someone has set up the network to which they belong, usually someone who has a good track record with the theme of the mastermind.

Can you think of other scalable services?

0 The Call to Action

The call to action is the point of the copy on your webpage.  Everything you write should lead to a call to action that brings the current page to a logical conclusion.

It is often mishandled. Something like this on the home page: a h1 heading followed by the words “click here to download our newsletter”,  is a missed opportunity.  Let’s take a look at what’s wrong with this call to action.

Some Ground Rules

So, you need to think carefully about your call to action.

How do you encourage visitors to respond to a call to action? What do you think is the secret of your success?

1 World Cafe

Perhaps World Cafe is the most flexible of the mutual methods I’m covering in this sequence. I’ve found this can be the easiest to explain and to adapt to circumstances.

People meet around small tables. So groups of four to six people work best. Round tables are best and as there may be issues with noise levels, smaller tables are better.However, it is easy to worry too much about furniture.  I’ve found I can usually manage with whatever is available.

It is easy to combine World Café with other types of participatory leadership. So, for example, follow a speaker with debate around tables.

Some Guidelines

The reason for the tables is people need to draw their ideas with pens and large sheets of paper. So Participatory Appraisal tools can be used. The 2 methods work well together. Depending on the time you have, you can at intervals move people around. Work out a method that leaves 1 person at the original table, who can explain the paperwork to newcomers, and split the rest around other tables. (I once managed to accidentally bring everyone back to their original table groups, so you need to be careful!)  The next session begins with the person who stays explaining the thinking of the original group and then the others bring insights from their tables.

This works best, as do all participatory methods, where you have a clear question to discuss at the beginning. This is why a speaker may not be the best option as they’re liable to introduce too much information.  The focus with all these methods is sharing of knowledge and experience.

Usually the session ends with some sort of plenary sharing, perhaps by pinning the papers to the walls. People can look at them over coffee and then share impressions and agree action steps.  Notes can be produced and circulated to all participants.

The best text, written by the people who originated the method is “The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter” by Juanita Brown, David Isaacs, Cafe Community World and Margaret J. Wheatley.  The World Café website summarises the method under “Useful Information” in the primary navigation.

0 Five Best Intermediate Body Websites

This is my second ever video and part of a short series.  The first looked at the five worst Intermediate Body websites and this one reviews the five best.

One issue I’m aware of is negativity.  The truth is these sites are disappointing and this video reflects my disappointment.  I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, when I reviewed feedback about the first video and suggested these sites share a lack of soul.  I don’t mean no time and effort goes into them.  I’m sure a lot of effort has gone into some of them but they seem arms length, peripheral to these organisations’ activity.

They have a low priority.  There is little awareness of what a good website can do for an organisation and how simple it is to transform the way the site functions.  I’m hoping to follow-up these two videos with another to show how websites can have soul.  I reviewed these sites seeking inspiration.  I’ve found inspiration of sorts!  How can organisations such as these, with limited resources create websites with soul?

Anyway, watch the video and see what you think!

One innovation is the captions.  I’m not sure about the speech bubble effect on reflection but captions can be used to underline learning points.  Do you think they work?

Here are the 12 captions for easy reference.  If you haven’t watched the video, you need to see where the captions come up to understand the context of these remarks.

1. Use WordPress.  Free use and full functionality.
2. Use your own images!
3. Avoid acronyms, especially in headings.
4. Address your visitors, say what your site aims to do for them.
5. Honour your promises.
6. A call to action on every page.
7. Follow conventions.  Start with an informative heading.
8. Think about what your visitor will want to know and give it to them.
9. Always have a heading and explanatory text on the home page.
10. Think about how the eye moves around the page.
11. Avoid sliders and other distractions.
12. Text should be in high contrast to its background.

Stop Press:  Black Country Churches Engaged has a new website that seems to be running alongside the old one featured in the video.  It’s worth a look and I may review it in the near future.  I would have expected the old site to include a prominent link to the new.  Presumably it is still active because some contacts have the old url.

Please leave your comments on the video here or on YouTube.

1 Preparing Your Blog Posts

With help from your designer or consultant, you’ve set up a WordPress website with blog,  social media, and email list. Now you’re faced with the prospect of preparing your blog posts.

In this post I’ll write about how I post regularly and in the next about finding content.

You can set things up so that when you post to your blog you automatically post on social media and broadcast to your email list. This saves a lot of time and effort.

Writing

Your big challenge is to write the blog posts. They can be scheduled and so it possible to set up several posts in one session to go out over a few days.

The way I do it requires a kitchen timer. You can purchase one from a £1 shop and the batteries last for a very long time. Set it to 50 minutes. Switch off phones, email and other distractions, eg cats, dogs, babies, etc and write. Don’t worry about details just get your thoughts down.

If you finish one post, go straight on to the next. Over a few days, if you do this every day you can accumulate a lot of posts. I post on a different category each day and so I usually write several posts within one category during a single session. This way I can think within one theme without too many distractions.  I use a word processor for this first draft.

Editing

The next step is a few days before posting, usually the week before, I paste the post into WordPress and carry out my first major review. As well as proof-reading, cutting out rubbish (where does that come from?) and checking for accuracy, I also add in links and other formatting.

I assign categories and tags, and write the meta description. I also set the date and time for the post but I don’t schedule it. Once I’m happy with it, I leave it for a few days.

Usually on the day before I post I read through for the last time for a final polish. I find reading a few days apart is helpful because I take a more balanced view of the writing. Some people may want a more direct and less polished effect. That’s fine if it works for you.

How do you prepare your posts?

0 Selling Products Online

Conversations in the marketplace aim to sell something. This does not necessarily mean an exchange involving money.  The exchange may be of ideas or activities.

So, it is helpful to think about what we mean by ‘sell’. To sell something is always an exchange. If I have a product I will give it to you in exchange for something else. It works because we both receive something we value more than whatever we give in exchange.  Any of the following may apply:

The Power of Products!

The big advantage of products is that once you’ve set up your online system, people can make purchases at any time with minimal additional work for you. Setting up reliable and robust systems can be a headache but it is in reach of anyone who wants to do it. This is a major development online and has been possible for only a few years.

Two Possibilities

I can write more about any aspect upon request.

1. Things shipped to your house. So, you can order a book, some groceries or a DVD and in a day or so it arrives at your door. Some people work from home and when their sites receive orders, they package and send them off. Others use companies that manufacture, pack and send orders on their behalf.
2. Products that can be downloaded directly. These include ebooks, videos and online courses. This is an exciting area and there is much giddy enthusiasm about earning millions through massive marketing campaigns. Very few people are going to become millionaires through this route (for obvious reasons) and it is unfortunate there is so much emphasis upon generating massive income. The way I look at it is if you have something of value to others then your duty is to make it available at a fair price. Those who are interested in your product must appreciate that a fair price is one that enables you to make a living.  Many small groups in the voluntary sector could generate modest income from selling products online.

The concept of a fair price is perhaps likely to be contested. But we should not fear this because it always has been. The marketplace has to be the arena where people agree a fair price. If someone has a good product they will care about their customers and their customers will care about them.

What are your views about products online? How do we work out a fair price?

1 Testimonials and Case Studies

Testimonials

“Your business exists to generate testimonials.” That is some advice I received. If like me you are just starting out, testimonials are essential and somewhat elusive. In time, as you work for customers, you will be able to collect them.

The first thing to remember is: ask for them! You may receive them unsolicited but you may be waiting forever. I ask for a testimonial as a part of my proposal documents, so the customer knows it is a part of our agreement. Indeed, even where I am working gratis, I still ask for a testimonial. Sometimes I ask for comments on a particular aspect of the work.

You can ask for a written testimonial and it is also worth exploring whether there are photos you can use, of the customer or of something to do with the work. Some customers may even be able to prepare a video. The advantage here is that you are less likely to be suspected of editing the testimonial!

Some websites have a special section for testimonials. This is not a good idea. Why should anyone visit your testimonial page? It’s always going to sound a bit “salesy”! It’s much better to add testimonials into your copy, alongside the benefits of your product, service or cause.

Case Studies

Case studies are a fuller account of the work you’ve done for a customer. I’ve just started to think about this seriously.  I’m finding I’m often working on existing websites.   I’ve realised I should be taking screenshots before I start work on them, so that I can illustrate the changes I have made! If I keep a record of the work I do I can turn it into blog posts. If the customer is happy to contribute to the case study, so much the better. A case study is an obvious place to include a testimonial.

This is just as important with causes as it is with selling products or services. If your aim is to persuade new people to take action, you must persuade your visitors to take part. If your cause is in support of a third-party, eg you collect donations to help some group, then your evidence can cover beneficiaries as well as those who contribute to the cause.

I shall be introducing testimonials and case studies to this site over the next few weeks.  The first appeared last Friday, with Hope for the Future and there more will appear in the near future.  What approaches have you found to illustrating the effects of your work on customers, users or beneficiaries?