Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:34:00 GMT
Today’s Manager Tip comes from Torin Ellis, creator of the Monday Mover Groupsite at mondaymover.collectivex.com.
Torin shares:
“Monday Mover is a unique group of professional strangers. While 80% of CollectiveX groups today are private, Monday Mover is a public, professional group. Anyone can join. We’re vibrant and productive, but also growing “not in the typical group” kind of way. We don’t have a pre-existing connection or association from which we spring.
Knowing that going in, I developed a solid process to keep members engaged after joining. From day one, I’ve found that consistent and demonstrative communication is extremely effective. I send an email blast to my entire group every Monday. Every message includes a few things each of them can do to become more engaged with the group and see a greater return on involvement. I then try to follow my own advice by being a regularly active member myself.”
Here are some examples of Torrin’s messages to his group…
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Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:59:00 GMT
Recently, I met with my friend Jerry Schwartz who heads up Business Networking International (BNI) here in Maryland. When I shared with him what we were doing with CollectiveX, he immediately thought we would be a resource the leadership of BNI could use.
The top BNI leaders meet once a year to compare notes and share ideas on how to improve their organizations success. With CollectiveX, they could stay in touch, communicate, share and network all year round.
Jerry asked if I could write up a 1-page explanation of what CollectiveX is all about and what a new member could expect to accomplish by joining their first group.
This 1-page Word doc was printed and handed out at this year’s annual meeting to get the group ready for what was coming.
The result, they had a tremendous acceptance rate and are now a very engaged Groupsite.
Here is the letter I drafted: CollectiveX Intro
Feel free to copy, modify or springboard off of this idea as a way to get greater acceptance and increased involvement from your members by telling them what they can expect so you get buy-in even before they accept their first invite.
Thanks for the idea Jerry.
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Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:24:00 GMT
Have you ever seen, heard or participated in a drum circle? The basic idea is a self-organized percussion jam session where anyone can bring their favorite drum, join in and bang out whatever beat moves them and the collective clatter will become beautiful music.
How does this work? Sporadically.
One thing that helps is the fact that percussion relies on tempo and rhythm not key, melody and harmony. If the same group showed up with oboes, tubas, saxophones and a church organ the resulting racket might be a colossal train wreck.
When a drum circle works is when a few of its members actually have rhythm and drive the underlying tempo and beat pattern so the novices can follow along for the ride making their contributions.
As soon as those rhythmic leaders stop drumming, the circle falls apart and everyone usually does a final drum roll and waits for another rhythmic leader to start another pattern.
So what does this have to do with managing a Groupsite?
It is simple, if you want to keep the beat, you need to either set the agenda by defining your group’s purpose and goals as well as inviting a few members who have the ability to keep the beat (initiate meaningful discussions) so others can feel comfortable making their contributions on top of the underlying beat.
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Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:11:00 GMT
How many ways are you using CollectiveX today?
- Alumni Group
- Board
- Conference
- Informal Group
- Membership Group
- Project Workgroup
- Web community
Have you thought about using the power of CollectiveX at work?
How do you share, communicate and network with your co-workers? Why not leverage the power of CollectiveX to build your own private corporate intranet in less than 5 minutes for less than $500?
A full-featured Groupsite with Enhanced Security (SSL encryption), Custom Branding, Additional Storage Space (3 GB), Custom Domain Name, Groupsite Statistics and Premium Permission Controls costs just $399 per year.
Additionally, for just $108 per year, a company of 100 employees or less can have all advertising turned off. (Ad Removal rate is $9/mth per 100 users).
For more information visit: www.collectivex.com/intranet
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Posted by Shaun Callahan
Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:58:00 GMT
Friday’s are my “User Tip” days and Mondays are my “Manager Tip” days. Since we have a Monday holiday (President’s Day), I thought I would get double duty out of this post by sharing a tip that both users and managers can use.
Adding an event to a Groupsite calendar is quite simple (as long as the Groupsite Manager’s have given members permission to do so).
Here’s how:
Step 1 – Select the “Calendar” tab
Step 2 – Pick the correct month
Step 3 – Click the + sign next to the date
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You will then see the page below where you can enter your event’s name, location (specific street address with city and state will auto-link to Google maps), time as well as provide an optional description if needed.
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Pay special attention to the “Allow RSVP?” field. There are 3 choices:
- “YES” – this will allow members of this Groupsite to post their responses to this Groupsite.
- “NO” – Use this option when all are welcome or to post events that need no RSVP such as holidays.
- “On a separate site” – selecting this option allows you to enter a web address for an RSVP page outside of your Groupsite. This is perfect if you want to let your group know about a local event sponsored by another group.
When you are all done, simply hit the “Submit” button.
That’s it.
RSVP’ing to an event that is already posted is just as easy.
Just select the “Calendar” tab, find the date of the event, click on the event name and enter your response as seen below. You can also add a comment if you like. Then hit submit.
We are a Group Engagement Network and we believe there is no better way to get involved with your group members than actually meeting face-to-face. So go ahead, RSVP “Yes” to a local event and get involved in person.
Posted in Groupsite Manager Tips, Groupsite User Tips | no trackbacks
Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:41:00 GMT
Many of our Groupsites are created for a set number of members (boards, project workgroups, company intranets etc.). If that is the case with your group, this tip is not for you.
For those of you who are trying to grow your group, here are a few ways to help make that happen.
1. Go Public – Under the “Manager Tab”, select “Overall Group Settings”.
In the “Groupsite Visibility & Membership Settings:” section, choose the following:
This will allow anyone to view your entire Groupsite (except members profiles – until they join) and anyone can join your group by simply selecting the “Join” tab or the “Join this Group” link at the top of the page.
2. Go Private (and let members invite others) – Under the “Manager Tab”, select “Overall Group Settings”.
In the “Groupsite Visibility & Membership Settings:” section, choose the following:
By selecting “Private – not visible to outsiders” you have created your own sanctuary that cannot be seen by the outside world. Since you have also selected “Invite Only”, here’s how you can help grow the group:
Under the “Manager” tab, select “Permission Controls”
Set the “Invite new group members” option to “Allow all members”.
This will allow the trusted members of your private group, to invite other members who they trust and feel should belong as well.
3. Go Limited – Under the “Manager Tab”, select “Overall Group Settings”.
In the “Groupsite Visibility & Membership Settings:” section, choose the following:
By choosing the “Limited – Public summary page only” anyone can see your summary page and get a feel for how many members your group has and how much activity is happening within the group, however, if they try to click on any of the links, they will be taken to a page which invites them to request approval to join”
You as a manager will receive this request and can approve or deny their membership.
As you grow and make decisions based on quantity and quality, pick the features above that work best for you and your group.
Posted in Groupsite Manager Tips | no trackbacks
Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:00:00 GMT
Last Thursday and Friday I had the pleasure of participating in the ASAE’s Association Technology Conference & Expo with over 100 other technology companies and over 1,200 association executives. While this was a tremendously productive two days, one of the most powerful sessions was the one lead by Robert Wolfe, Jr. (Training Manager for the Solid Waste Association of North America) entitled “Are Your Members Ready for Web 2.0?”
Robert’s comments were on point, down to earth and simply made good sense.
His emphasis was not on the technology but on what members were trying to get done – the experience and conversations they were having.
Here are some of his quotes I scribbled down while in the session:
“If they already have a destination in mind – help them get their quick.”
“Look for members who are “having a conversation” and ask yourself, “how can I enhance this dialogue?”
“The technology should be transparent. Members’ energies should be focused on the conversation or the experience not on accessing or learning the technology.”
“Members don’t care about the social network, they care about the conversation.”
“Members care about the destination – not the vehicle.’
“Content is king. Experience is king. Technology is just a way to enhance the conversation or experience.”
“You want it to be about the conversation.”
Manager Tip – Heed Robert’s advice – Help your members get to their destination.
Here are a few ways:
- If you learn of a conversation that is generating increased interest among your members, you could create a new Forum with that conversation as a topic.
- If a particular group of constituents are embarked on a specific project, you may want to create a separate Groupsite dedicated to those folks who are involved in that project.
- On the “Summary” page you may want to add links to sites that are resources that support the conversation or add an RSS feed on key topics around the conversation.
- You may want to locate experts on the topic and invite them to join your group and become part of the conversation.
Posted in Groupsite Manager Tips | no trackbacks
Posted by Shaun Callahan
Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:01:00 GMT
There are a number of ways to customize a Groupsite to make it more personalized to your group.
Our Premium Branding option (one-time fee of $79) allows you to give your Groupsite header and color template your own look and feel consistent with your current branding or website.
Here’s a before and after shot:
Free header:
Premium header:
There are a number of free ways to customize your Groupsite as well. Here are 4 ways to customize your Summary page:
Manager Tip – Customize your Summary page.
1. Edit you introductory paragraph. By default, we provide you with a “Welcome to the Groupsite…” intro. You can easily edit this content by clicking the “edit” link.
You will see our familiar WYSIWYG editor where you can add, delete and edit the intro to read exactly as you choose. Some groups simply have a welcome. Others state their mission or rules of conduct. You can also use this space to embed graphics, photos, videos or any flash-based elements.
2. Edit the sidebar. The same “edit link” is available to managers on the right sidebar just below the block ad. Here you can also use this space to embed graphics, photos, videos or any flash-based elements.
3. Choose what elements of you Groupsite you want summarized in the “This group consists of:” section.
Roll you mouse over the “This group consists of:” header and you will see an “edit” link. Selecting this link will show the following views where you can choose the most important elements you want to roll-up to your Summary page.
4. Add “Headlines and Links”. By selecting “add link” under “Headlines and Links” you can easily add links to other websites that are resources for your group. RSS feeds can be added the same way by selecting “add feed”.
Taking the time to customize your site to focus on the specific needs of you group will increase the rate in which your users will become engaged with the Groupsite, its content and with each other.
Posted in Groupsite Manager Tips | no trackbacks
Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:32:00 GMT
CollectiveX is a tool. A hammer. A very cool, elegant hammer but just a hammer. What you build with it is up to you.
Learning the features of a hammer is easy. Deciding how to use it to build something meaningful is another story.
Over 10,000 groups are currently using our hammer to build deeper trust, communicate effectively, network, share knowledge and get things done.
Manager Tip – Become a Champion
If you have not already, go to champions.collectivex.com and join our users group of people who are using their hammers to build some pretty cool things.
Under the discussion forum “Best Practices” we invite you to share your success stories or post a question for others asking them how they are going about building trust – engagement – increased involvement – growth – community.
Posted in Groupsite Manager Tips | no trackbacks
Posted by Shaun Callahan
Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:03:00 GMT
We all know the Golden Rule which says you should treat people the way you would like to be treated. Have you heard of the Platinum Rule? The Platinum Rule says you should treat people the way they want to be treated.
Manager Tip – Treat users the way they want to be treated.
Under the “My Settings” tab, CollectiveX users can select how each Groupsite they have joined sends (our does not send) information to them (see User Tip – Push-me Pull-you).
What they cannot do is stop Managers from sending calendar, discussion and email blasts. The only way a user can stop this is by selecting “Remove me from this group” option. We assume you would prefer they not choose that option.
As a manager, before you blast out your next calendar, discussion or email blast, ask your self, “Do all of my Groupsite members really want this in their inbox? Or would some of them see it as:
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