ThrivingByDesign

AgileSlateis a very user-friendly system for using just email to managing group projects of any kind.

There are contexts where project groups do not have access to collaborative project management tools or do not have the skills or patience for available tools.

AgileSlate is an approach that leverages most people's natural skill and patience capacities. And it enables groups to easily manage agile projects.

Here's how it works. Someone on the core team for the project opens a new Gmail account. Ideally, the user name reflects the project name for easy recognition and the password is also easy to remember and somehow related to the project. The account originator then emails everyone on the project with the group's Gmail account name and password. This person also starts four Google Documents that everyone can access in the Docs section of this email account.

The four documents are named:

Wish list
Issues list
Resources list
Sprint lists

After the team develops the first versions of each list, someone posts each list in their respective document. Then, when everyone on the team is ready to add updates to any of the lists, they sign into the email account, open the document for that list, and update the list.

If anyone has files related to the project - other documents, photos, videos, and so on - they can send them directly to project email from their personal email. The project account originator or someone else designated can keep these emailed files organized in easy to access folders within the project email account.

This simple use of a simple tool then allows everyone to be able to update and access the status of everything on the project, reducing unnecessary meetings and time spent trying to keep project emails organized.

Instructions from the Cook (2008) presents a compelling, simple, and powerful model for building community.

Enjoy the free PDF download, and if you want to give something back, forward it to as many people as you want to invite into building community with you.

Click here to download:

InstructionsFromTheCook.pdf (5.96 MB)

(download)

Click here to download:

InstructionsFromTheCook.pdf (5.96 MB)

We come together in the civic space to do together what we can't do alone, apart, or in opposition to one another. We come together in generosity and innovation. When we connect our strengths and passions, we are smarter, faster, and better together.

The civic space is the network of public spaces and events where people talk about and act together on community issues and possibilities.

For most people in most communities, working together in the uniqueness of the civic space is new. They are accustomed to working together in the structure of their organizations and institutions where there are clear top-down priorities, budgets, roles, and rules.

In the civic space, the only things we get done beyond what formal institutional and organizational leaders do is what we do voluntarily together. Compared to the whole community, these formal leaders make up a very small percentage, always leaving much work left for more informal groups in the community to do. In the civic space, everyone's engagement is voluntary. Coaches in the civic space are people who connect the talents and interests of people in the community to make a difference. They are skilled in teaching civic groups how to emerge, engage, organize, and succeed. Here are three areas in which they do this.

Facilitating new conversations

The quality of communities is determined by the quality of their conversations. Civic coaches help groups move from conversations that keep them stuck to conversations that make them thrive.

This means helping groups focus more on possibilities than problems, more on invitations than blame, more on assets than deficiencies, and more on taking doable actions than waiting for permission for expensive actions.

Network weaving

When it comes to getting things done, one of the differences between stuck and thriving groups is the reach and richness of their connections.

Civic coaches connect groups to people the don't yet know who have assets they can engage in their efforts. They get to know a wide range of different people inside and outside the community and make introductions that benefit all and make a difference.

Organizing successful projects

Stuck groups discuss issues, thriving groups do projects. Projects are time and outcome specific collaborations that engage people in new ways to make new things happen.

Civic coaches help keep projects focused, realistic, collaborative, action oriented and agile. They help groups get the quickest results possible with the resources they have. They give groups easy to learn and use tools for keeping projects successful.

Developing Civic Coaches

Anyone can be a civic coach. Civic coaching is interesting because it is a process that requires the skills all of us already have. There are no required specialized skills, position in the community, economic level, formal educational levels.

The training we give civic coaches shows them when to use which of their skills with groups. It doesn't take long for people to learn the right timing of skills that helps groups succeed. The more civic coaches learn this, the more easily they are able to have effective conversations, make effective connections, and manage effective projects.

Community Gathering Design Checklist: 30 Key Considerations in Engagement Design

Invitations

• Who are must-have participants?
• Who are like2have participants?
• Are there any demographics who are OK not to invite?
• What deliverables will the invite promise?
• Who will be named as the inviters/conveners?
• Who will be important to input into invitation lists?
• Will people be given pre-reading to do & if so what?
• Are people being invited to a 1-off event or a process of some kind?
• Are there any invitees who politically will only show up if personally invited?

Opening & Closing

• Who will be the greeters for the event?
• Who will open the event & what will they present?
• Who will they introduce?
• Who will facilitate the session?
• Who will do closing remarks & outlining next steps?
• What printed information will people take away if any?

The Process

• What new information will be presented & in what media/format?
• How will people’s questions & concerns be voiced and captured?
• Will any live questions be addressed, and if so, when & by whom?
• How will non-addressed solicited live questions be addressed post-event?
• What exact questions will be used to structure participant engagement in the event?
• Which questions will be optional and supplemental relative to time issues?
• How will participant engagement be orchestrated and timed?
• What post-event actions and potential process will be required?
• Will we be looking out for natural leaders to emerge in the group we will engage in follow-up?

Logistics

• Who needs to be prep'd for the process & what do they need to be prep'd on?
• What room set-up details will be required for the event objectives?
• How will any presenters and facilitators be coordinated and prepared?
• Will RSVP’s be expected and how will they be managed?
• How will participant contact information be collected at the event?
• Does the scope of potential invitees warrant multiples of the same events for inclusion?