We know that metrics are always an intriguing topic to discuss in the land of community management: there are always new methods for gathering, new strategies to implement, and new tools to try out. So, while we wanted to spend time in TheCR Network talking about metrics, we also wanted to focus this broad topic into something valuable that could also encompass the needs of different use cases, contexts, and situations.
We have previously discussed value, reporting metrics, and more under the umbrella, so we wanted to dust off an old favorite and once again talk about how we all measure what matters to us.
Here's what we found...
June in TheCR Network: Roundtable Calls
Our first call of June was an annual sight on our calendars, "New Research! State of Community Management 2021 Findings".
Whereas in the past where we have usually heard some key takeaways and important points from the findings of the research report, this year we heard those and also got to listen into the SOCM Working Group members as they shared what resonated with them and why.
We will not summarize the whole research report here, so I encourage you to take a look for yourself and see what resonates for you under each Community Maturity Model competency. Then, share them and your questions in this thread to continue the conversation!
Need to download the research first? You can find that here!
If you want to listen into this call, you can find the edited Roundtable Recording here.
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Our next call, from our Prep With Peers series, focused on how we deal with and react to negative or toxic feedback. On "Prep With Peers: Handling Negative/Toxic Feedback", we used the call to walk through situations where we have and may continue to have to deal with negative or toxic feedback and then reviewed tips and methods we could use to respond.
As this call came out of some responses to a previous call where we discussed turning negative feedback into creating a solution, we know we can find a lot of value in negative or critical feedback, but dealing with toxic feedback is a little harder.
While they both differ, many of the actions we can take to find something productive or value in dealing with the feedback remain the same; clarifying and getting details, following up and talking one-on-one with the speaker, and providing transparency on future decisions and timelines remaining some of those options.
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June's penultimate call was another favorite series return where we got to hear from a member about how they measure what matters in their community.
On this call, "Who's Measuring What? A Metrics Show & Tell with Julien Van de Casteele", we got both a peek into one member's metrics journey in a not-for-profit community and an understanding of how someone may build out, and continue to build out, metrics to match the mission of a growing program.
One particularly interesting topic of discussion was Julien's current project. A work in progress, Julien is working towards building a "dashboard-for-all" where they can pull several sources of information together to create a space where they can direct SMEs, executives, and stakeholders alike to explore relevant metrics.
If you are interested in listening in to this call, you can find the edited Roundtable Recording here.
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Our last call of the month, "Designing Communities For Kindness", had us welcoming in a guest speaker to talk more about the value of community culture and how we can cultivate positive and welcoming spaces to enable our members to feel empowered and engaged.
On this call, Victoria Tran, Community Director at Innersloth and Co-Organizer for Game & Colour, joined us to explore how we can create kindness in our communities, explicitly designing community programs to be supportive spaces for our members.
With some core tenants of designing for kindness, I especially loved the focus on quick and even enforcement of rules and emphasizing transparency when it comes to feedback, updates, and that same rule enforcement. Since our members are at the heart of our communities and relationships are what create value for our members and the community at large, we need to make sure we are undertaking the actions that will create supportive, collaborative spaces and thus, will create value for everyone involved.
If you want to listen in to this call, you can find the edited Roundtable Recording here.
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We heard some great examples and had some great discussions this month, so why not round it out with what we learned about members of TheCR Network overall...
What Did You Think?
For the month of June, we opened up a poll to talk about how we all consume content, or, more in line with our monthly theme, what content we find valuable most often. We know there are a myriad of ways to create and consume content, so, in order for TheCR Network team to understand where members stand, as well as to explore the topic of content creation a little further, we wanted to see what methods members find most valuable when they are looking to explore content.
In order to find that out, we asked TheCR Network members: What is your favorite way to engage with content?
What did members say? Let's find out...
The poll results come from a sample size of 14 respondents and show that members do have a preference, but it is not an overwhelming preference and may depend on the content and purpose for consuming the content itself. The majority of respondents, 36% said that they prefer reading content and, right behind that, 29% of respondents said they they prefer watching content (through videos or visuals) and 29% of respondents also said they prefer participating in content (joining in or being an active part of the experience). At the lowest end of the spectrum, only 7% of respondents they prefer listening to content (no visual components).
While this was a great quick poll to get an idea of how members might like to engage in TheCR Network, it was also a great exercise in understanding that different needs and preferences that a varied group of people have when it comes to engaging in a community. The same content that is perfect for one person may not work or be accessible for another, so we need to keep that in mind when designing our content and programming in order to best reach our members where they are.
This poll actually spurred the creation of
this thread where members explored this question more deeply, discussing how their answers may differ depending on the topic of the content and how we all may experience different situations or contexts that creates the need for engaging through different methods.
After thinking about how we measure and understand what matters for us and our members, we need to think about how we can put that into action...
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
After discussion impact, value, and how we measure what matters, we need to keep that all in mind as we look at the actions we can take to build upon what we have created. Part of that building depends on your strategy, and part of it depends on your and your team's skillsets.
That is why, for the month of July in TheCR Network, we are looking at Developing Community Skills. We will not necessarily be running weekly skill builders, but we will be looking at how others complete projects, approach tasks, and understand their skillsets when thinking about community strategy.
So, if any of these conversations or concepts have sparked an idea or recommendation from you, let us know! While we plan our programming calendar, we also leave space for reactive programming, spur-of-the-moment topics, and member involvement, so leave us a note or send us a message and we'll get something together to address
your topics of interest.
And if you're not a member of TheCR Network, or if you know someone who isn't a member of TheCR Network, but would love to participate in these conversations, please reach out! We're happy to talk about how you or they can get involved.
If you'd rather do that yourself, you can
find out more about how to join TheCR Network here.