We all want to be a member of a Tribe or group, do you have a Tribe? When we do we’ll feel understood, this will help us go after or goals and to pursue our dreams.
If this is the case, why is it so hard to find a tribe or get one going? Everyone’s tribe is made up of ‘your’ people, meaning there is always a select group of people who will fit your tribe. When you come together for a common interest, a synergy is more likely to be created. When we try to create something on our own, a tribe will be much greater than ever doing on your own.
When I hear this kind of statement, I think of collaborative groups. If you are feeling that you are tribe-less, it’s likely because you have not found them yet, it doesn’t mean they are there for you. This reminds me of, you have to kiss many toads until you find your prince.
I know for me, I start groups, everyone is gung-ho and then all of a sudden people drop off or they aren’t willing to participate. Sometimes, I just have to remind myself that maybe this just isn’t my tribe or don’t give up too soon. Creating your own tribe or collaborative group you need to think of the qualities you want your members to have.
Do you want:
- Them to listen
- Jump in and self-promote themselves
- Treat people with respect
- Have a sense of humor
- Be loyal and trustworthy
- Participate and share
- Do you want to be friends
- Do you want positive or optimistic people
How can you find members to join your tribe or collaborative project? If there is something you want to work on together you will want to set the perimeters of what the project or the community is about.
Here are some ways in which you can find people to join you:
- On Twitter you can use keywords of the interests or activities that you are interested in.
- Start a blog and write about what you are interested in, use keywords of the interests and you could even the city that you live in, if you want to meet locally.
- Look for upcoming community events in your city that you can do together.
- Yahoo groups or other forums like Quora or Focus
Whoever you decide to have in your tribe..they will likely be around for a long time. Always remember that as a member you have responsibilities in your tribe or collaborative group.
For a collaborative group you’ll want to allow members of the community to engage with one anther, expand ideas and help solve problems either as a collective or individually. Some of the ways you may want to consider are:
Member brainstorming and discussions;
• Sharing of insights and expertise;
• Networking;
• Speaker series;
• Mentorship and panel discussions;
• Proposal presentations;
• Round table lunches;
• Presentations by up-and-coming entrepreneurs; and
• Special events.
