My friend, Kevin, invited me to join him on an ad hoc team at Emergent Commons to assess organizational risks. I accepted and suggested that we expand this project into a SWOT Analysis as I did not want to focus only on negative factors. I explained SWOT to Kevin and he agreed.
A SWOT Analysis looks at an organization using a framework that captures Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. A SWOT Analysis is often used to inform organizational strategy. The idea is to build on Strengths, address Weaknesses, seize Opportunities and mitigate Threats. However, the strategy aspect is a separate project. And at EC there is no Team charged with strategic planning, something I will note as a weakness.
A SWOT Analysis is best done by a group because there will inevitably be different perspectives. The intent should be to capture all perspectives without judgment, a brainstorming exercise. What some participants see as a strength, others may see as a weakness. Both perspectives should be captured without debate. Consequently, a strong facilitator is needed to lead a SWOT exercise to minimize discussion.
I am writing this to capture my perspectives in preparation for a scheduled meeting. I know my analysis is incomplete, being only one perspective, but that is all I can provide. I am looking forward to seeing what the result of a group effort will be.
EC was formed by members of Rebel Wisdom, many of whom met each other at RW Campfire events, giving a strong sense of a shared origin. Together, these Founders and Elders accomplished a lot in a short period of time.
EC has a small number of extremely dedicated volunteers doing essential tasks and generating activity. EC has a small number of engagers who are highly skilled and capable of effective interaction with a very wide range of personalities. EC has a few highly skilled members.
From the start, EC had a clear focus on how members interacted.
In its early days, EC volunteers documented its values.
In its early days, the volunteers created the Emergent Commons Purpose Statement.
In its early days, EC volunteers wrote a Constitution which provided an operational framework.
As an online community, EC has members from countries around the world. There is a considerable diversity of personalities, perspectives and styles. There is a wide range of interests.
There are no high-profile members at the core of EC and no dominating external organization or influences.
Volunteer Teams are free to self-manage.
From the start, EC had an abundance of women making important contributions, a healthy feminine spirit.
Imposed as a condition by RW, from the start EC understood that tensions and conflict were inevitable and mechanisms for mitigating potential harms to members were established.
EC encouraged members to experiment with creating crews for their own purposes within EC. Now more than two years later, there seem to be a significant number of vibrant Crews.
Something about EC continues to attract a steady stream of new members.
EC lacks leadership and seems to fear strong leadership. EC aspires to collective leadership but has a poor understanding of what this means or how to implement it. There does not seem to be a team directly responsible for the mission of the organization and the strategy to achieve its Purpose.
Although EC has a beautifully written Purpose Statement, it does not adequately reflect the collective will of the current membership. Efforts to clarify the organizational Purposes have not yet yielded results. Member behavior suggests a variety of Purposes resulting in a lack of coherence. Some members assert their desire for no defined Purposes and see no need for organizational coherence.
Decisions are made very slowly and there is no apparent decision-making process.
EC seems to have a poor understanding of power dynamics and seems to fear the appropriate use of power. There is no obvious source of ultimate authority.
Crews are disconnected from the whole that is Emergent Commons.
The unifying spirit of Rebel Wisdom has faded. The strong presence of the Founders and Elders has faded. Several new members seem to be pulling EC in different directions which seems to be generating new tensions which remain unresolved.
EC lacks strong filters for screening new members for appropriateness. EC lacks the will and wisdom to deal with problematic new members.
Many members seem unaware of the need for volunteers and indifferent to building the EC organization.
EC is constrained by the platform on which it resides.
EC has members with a passion for building something very special.
EC can be a community, a home, for the followers of adjacent change agents who themselves are community builders.
EC could expand and extend its transformative impact on its members, and indirectly on the world.
EC could succeed in building a successful, sustainable online community where others have failed.
Key volunteers could suffer burnout without being replaced.
A more attractive online community could emerge.
New Members could hack, hijack and destroy the organization.
An internal culture war could intensify.
As a result of unresolved tension and conflict, some voices may go silent, thereby changing the essence of EC.
EC could split or splinter with large groups of members leaving.
AI could impact EC in unforeseeable ways.