Slots vs. networks

There's an issue that we face in building a coalition of students for change: do you give people a defined role or do you encourage them to come up with their own ideas and how to implement them? In other words, is it more important to create open space or find slots to put people?

Here at the January Institute in MN this thought came up this morning. Clearly, some people really thrive on thinking of crazy, big ideas and then figuring out independently how to make it work. Often thought of as leaders, these people abhor top-down structure and thrive on open environments of possibility. Then there are those people who really want to help out but have no idea what to do. They might be new to the climate movement, and they might be new to taking positive, proactive action of any kind. They usually want to be told what to do, at first. They are looking for slots to fit themselves into.

Recognize this dichotomy? If so, if you're like me and struggle with the best model of involving people of all temperments and skill levels, then you think about this a lot. Here's a different way to think about it: we're all in a group or space or community, but some people have a lot more connections than other people. If you have lots of connections, then you have a good sense of your place and role, and therefore usually a good sense of what type of action you can take that will be effective. On the other hand, if you're new to a group than you will have very few connections and be looking to see how you fit in. That often ends up being to seek a role, but really we should think about it as seeking connections.

Connections are shared passions, recognition of skills, shared insights or maybe just a buddy. Either way, the group defines the niche of the individual as the individual explores the group socially. Its not up to the leader to assign roles or slots, but rather up to the group to reach out and form connections with its members. This makes the group deeper, it makes the group stronger, and if people are connected and welcomed, they will come back, which makes the group bigger.

As we try to build the coalition that will create a just, sustainable and healthy society, we need to remember it means developing connections constantly.