I've been saying for a while that engagement and conversation in community is often detrimental. It's exhausting and often doesn't lead anywhere. I don't think most people like to hear this because we're so obsessed with measuring engagement. Really we should measure the outcomes.
My thinking on this is constantly evolving, especially as I explore (my own) neurodivergence and all the ways people prefer or are able to communicate. I find a lot of what is preached in community quite disabling. I also find so much engagement actually (very frustratingly) goes nowhere.
I'm someone who loves creating change, being super hands-on and seeing results. To me, this comes from doing "the work". Doing the research. Becoming confident. Being the best decision maker you can be (because you've done your research).
Part of this is doing Community Discovery (👈 get the guide), and then the next thing is taking action—the action part is the work. Stop talking and find ways to do what matters. Find a budget to do the work instead of endless surveys and conversations that lead to nothing.
I want to build a habit of riffing off things I read. This post was written off the back of reading Community is Participatory:
"Everyone has opinions about things, but rolling your sleeves up and getting to work is where relationships and therefore community is built." — Chris Corrigan
