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AGuidetoSelectingCommunityConnectors

JoeErpenbeckFaculty

AssetBasedCommunityDevelopmentInstitute

NorthwesternUniversity,EvanstonIllinois2015

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Thisisaguidetoasimpleprocessthatcanbeutilizedwhenselectingcommunitybuildersorconnectors.Weassumedthatthebestwaytodothiswastoreplicate,ascloselyaspossible,theworkweexpectedtheapplicantstodo.Insteadofatypicalinterview,weinvitedapplicantstoaconversationandtospendtimemeetingpeopleinaneighborhood.Thisalsoprovidedusanopportunitytopractice“radicalhospitality”bywelcomingeachapplicantandsharingandreflectingontheircommunityexperience.Westartedbyaskingallapplicantstowriteresponsestothreetofourquestionssuchas:

• Tellmeaboutyourneighborhood?• Whatdoescommunitymeantoyou?• Tellusastoryaboutyourcommunity?• Whatareyouapartofinyourcommunity?

Fromtheseresponsesweinvited8-10oftheapplicantsinforan“interview”thatwasactuallymorelikeaconversation.Wetoldthemthatweweretryingsomethingnewandwehopeditwouldbefun.Becausepartoftheinterviewwouldbespentoutdoors,theyshoulddresscomfortablyfortheweather.Sixtotenapplicantsarrivedforaninterviewatthesametime.Theyweregreetedwarmlyandengagedinconversationastheyarrived.Therewerelightrefreshments,sometimesballoonsandchalkwelcomesignsonthesidewalk.Onceallhadarrivedweexplainedthemissionofourgroupandthendescribedwhatwewouldbedoingintheneighborhood.Usually,weincluded2-3experiencedconnectorstositinontheinterviewsasgreetersandobservers.Theapplicantsthenspenttime,45minutestoanhour,intheneighborhoodwiththefollowingguidelines:

• Meetonetothreepeopleandlearnabouttheirgiftsandwhattheyareconnectedto.

• Beasnaturalaspossible(takingnoteswasdiscouraged).• Donotsaturateapersonorplace.• Havefun

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Eachpersonwastoldthatwethoughttheywouldhaveagreatexperienceconnectingwithwelcomingpeopleandplaces.Weadded,however,thatsometimesitmightnotgosowellandthatwouldalsobeokay.Theyweretoldthatrejectionisnoreflectionontheirabilitytoconnect,itjusthappenssometimes.Eachapplicantwasgivenourphonenumberincasetheygotlostorranintoanydifficulties.Whenthegroupreturned,wefacilitatedagroupconversationaroundthreequestions:

• Tellusaboutonepersonyoumet?• Whatstruckyouaboutthisexperience?• Whatsurprisedyouaboutthisexperience?Aboutthepeople,the

neighborhoodoryourself?

Thepurposeofthediscussionwastogaininsightintoapplicants’abilitytolisten,becurious,havepassionforcommunity,buildrelationships,totellastoryandbeacontributingteammember.Asweproceededthroughthediscussiontheotherteammemberswerepayingattentiontoassesseachapplicant.

• Dotheyappeartohaveagiftfocusedapproach?• Aretheyabletoeffectivelybuildrelationships?• Whatistheirnon-verbalbehaviorcommunicating?• Dotheycommunicateeffectively?• Doestheapplicantappeartohaveenjoyedtheactivity?• Aretheycurious?

Wekeptthediscussiontonomorethananhour.Laterthatweekafterratingthecandidatesweinvitedonetothreeoftheapplicantsbackforamorein-depthindividualdiscussion.Theseconversationsoftenfeltasifwewerereconnectingwithfriends.

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Althoughthereisstillmuchlearningandcontinuedrefinementoftheprocess,therearemanyapparentadvantagestothismethodincluding:

• Anopportunitytoshowcasekeyelementsofthepractice.• Ahands-onexperience.• Theabilitytobuildonrelationshipsandconnection.• Theadvantageofsavingtime.

Recently,weaddeda“playitforward”piece–athankyoucardpersonalizedtotheapplicantswithahandwrittennotethankingthemforcominginandspendingtimewithus.Weincludedagift.Thegiftwassomethingtheycouldusetomakeaconnection,suchasacardtobuysomeoneacoffee,oramarkertowriteathankyoutosomeonetheyappreciate.Weaskedthemtoemailusastoryaboutwhattheydidwiththeirgift.Somereplied,somedidn’t,butifinvitedbackforasecondinterviewweaskedaboutwhattheydid.Oneofthemajorbenefitsofthisapproachisthatitsetsatoneofcreativity,possibility,communityandconnection.Itisusuallyaverymemorableeventfortheparticipants.Infact,someapplicantswhowerenotselectedcommentedaboutwhatanamazingexperienceithadbeenforthem.Followingarefivesupportingdocuments(Exhibits1-5)usedintheprocessofselectingconnectors.

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Exhibit 1 | Job Description For Community Connectors

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Exhibit 1 | Job Description For Community Connectors

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Exhibit 2 | An Advertisement Seeking Applicants As Community Connectors

(PostonNumerouswebsites)

Wearelookingforadynamiccommunitybuilderwhoenjoysmeetingpeopleandbuildingconnectionsinneighborhoodstobeapartofourcommunitydevelopmentteam.Responsibilities:

ü Abilitytofacilitaterelationshipsandconnectionsandtoconnectpeopleofdiversebackgrounds.

ü Abilitytoidentifyandconnectpeopleandassetsinneighborhoodsandassociations.

ü Abilitytoworkaspartofateamwithemphasisonrelationships,outcomes,maturityandtact.

ü Astrongcommitmenttocommunityandrelationshipbuildingandinclusionofallpeople.

Qualifications:

ü Excellentlisteningandrelationshipbuildingskills.ü Stronginterestincommunitydevelopment.ü Excellentcommunicationandproblemsolvingskills,initiative,good

judgmentandextremereliability.ü Knowledgeofcomputersandgoodwritingskills.ü Workflexibleschedule.

PositionType:Fulltime37.5hourswithbenefits

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Exhibit 3 | Introductory Statement for Applicants Who Are Interviewed

WelcomeandThanksforcomingtoday,wearesogladyouarehere!Youarepartofaninitiativethatiscollectinginformationontheassetspresentinneighborhoods.Depthofinformationandrelationshipsismuchmorevaluablethanquantity.Recognizingandpracticinghospitalityisparamountandasourceofenergyandlearning.Applicantswillspend45minutesintheneighborhoodmeeting1to3peopleandcollectinformationabout:Whataretheperson’sgifts?Whataretheyconnectedto?Pleasetrynottosaturateaparticularplace/personandtobeverynatural.Afteranhour,returnhereandyoucancallxxx-xxx-xxxxifyouneedassistance.

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Exhibit 4 | Rating Form for Applicants Based on Information From Interview And Field Visit

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Exhibit 4 | Rating Form for Applicants Based on Information From Interview And Field Visit

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Exhibit 4 | Rating Form for Applicants Based on Information From Interview And Field Visit

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Exhibit 4 | The Learnings of 10 Community Connectors

Workingthroughanintriguingnetworkcalled“Possibilities,”weselected10communityconnectorsusingthemethodsandtoolsinthispublication.Afterayearofwork,theconnectorswereaskedabouttheirmostsignificantlearnings.Thefollowingisacompilationoftheirwisdom.

• Generalizinghascollapsed.• Everyonewantstotellyouhis/herstory.• Imustbeopen,curiousandinterested.• Believingthateveryonehassomethingtogive.• Relinquishcontrol.• Acceptnotseeingimmediateresults.• Listeningwithoutanagenda.• Realizingeveryonewantsfriends.• Embracingtheunknown.• Reflectingonone’spersonalselfinthispersonalwork.Itisdifficulttofind

wordsintheworldofthepersonal.Youcanseeanemptyplaceinyourself,soyoulearnyouarelikeotherpeople

• Yougetbetterandbetterquestionstoask.• Ittakesacertainkindofpersonalitytobeasadaptiveasthisworkdemands.

Wearesteppingintonewworldseveryday.• Welearnhowandwhentosay,“No.”• Self-careisimportantsothatwebringgiftstotherelationship.• Peopleconnectinmanydifferentways.• Communitymeansmanydifferentthingswhenit’spracticed.• Wemustleavetheexpertroleandstopthinking,“Iknowwhattheyneed.”• Wearelearningandsupportingatthesametime.• Opennessrequirespersonalvulnerability.Thisworkisnotaboutself-

preservation.• Learningtopraiseratherthanencourage.• Learningthatwearedisruptingisolation.• Learningthatpeoplereallycareabouttheirneighborhood.• Learningthatinneighborhoods,therearelotsofpositivegroups.