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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.