#loomio

Following up on a mention in the recent Zeynep Tufekci book, "Twitter and tear gas," I explored a new collaborative system. Loomio.org seems to be addressing the area--making collaborative decisions--that works most poorly online. Part of me goes, "well, get people together on the phone, or even better, in a room." But, that isn't always possible, so perhaps a tool like this has a niche.

But, if I were looking at a tool around which to organize, this would be the last on my list. Most often, I want good email tools, a calendar, a doc store --something like Google Drive or even better, groups.io. (For getting the word out, we have some relatively universal communities such as twitter and facebook--creating a special system for that would be counter-productive since nobody you’re trying to reach would be there.)

Loomio addresses an issue that Tufekci brings up in her book, and one which I assume is very important to some organizers: Especially in an anti-authoritarian collaborative, how do you make decisions? In particular, how do you make decisions with sufficient speed as to counter the actions of a government trying to destroy or discredit your movement? Loomio posits an answer.

I tend to think that this is the wrong question. I would argue that in a collaborative of strangers, making good decisions via online tools is unlikely. Good, deep, responsive organizing relies on community--people who know each other, who bowl together, form a union together (or keep one going), who play pokemon go together or ride bikes together, perhaps even celebrate religious community (which tends to be much more than mere prayer, for better and for worse) together.

People who know each other have trust, or have grounds on which to build trust that is sufficiently concrete that decisions can be discussed and decided. The decision tool, which could be Roberts Rules of Order, Sociocracy, consensus, or just "this seems to be what we're agreed on" doesn't matter. From my soapbox, if knowledge is a community construct (see, for instance, the recent book, "The knowledge illusion : why we never think alone" / Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach), then I would argue that the ability to make decisions based on that knowledge is even more of a community construct.

But, that's my bad attitude. If anyone is interested in the idea, do explore and report back.

Richard Bartlett, Massey alumnus and co-founder of Loomio gave a lecture on ‘How to do anything in 3 hard steps’.

@richdecibels

#3hardsteps

Find something worth holding on to and hold onto it. Write it down.

Do everything with fun, love, colour, and cups of tea. Prioritise the vibe.

Hold on to #1 and throw everything else away.

Having the aim, the core purpose decided on up front, keeps everyone moving in the same direction, and orients the group towards one thing. This is really helpful in the collaborative process.

‘Prioritise the vibe’ means if it feels good, it is good. If it feels off, trust your gut! Emotions carry information, something that the business world is only now learning from our generation. Use your emotions, don’t leave them at the door. If you feel a decision is wrong, even after it has already been made, speak up. You may find other people feel the same but kept quiet about it.

Accountability is important. Decide what each person is going to do, and hold them responsible to do that, when they say they’ll do it.

The number one reason startups fail is because internal relationships break down. This is why the vibe is so important, you have to know what’s happening around you.

People often get fixated on one idea, and think it’s the one solution, preach to everyone that this is the one, when really they’ve just convinced themselves to the point of obsession. Don’t ever kid yourself. Hold onto the essence of your answer, but stay open to experimentation, and try everything.

Remember the first step is the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Special features, add ons, and extras can come later.

Keep the initiative user-driven. Provide what your user needs, don’t bend them to whatever’s convenient for you. Stay in touch with the end-user throughout the process.

Each day go around a circle of all your key members and take one minute to ask ‘What did you do yesterday? What are you doing today? What is blocking today’s goal?’. Establish peer accountability without having a formal ‘boss’, know what everyone’s doing, what could slow progress, and lend a hand.

Focus on the cheapest, quickest, simplest solution to your problem. The internet probably holds examples that solve 95% of the issue- don’t be afraid to build off this. It’s unfeasible to expect that everything you do will be 100% original- stand on the shoulders of giants.

Be sure to validate the problem with others before devoting your time to a solution; if no one else sees it as a real problem, you’re creating a solution that nobody needs. Too many startups have convinced themselves something is necessary because they want it to be.

Always be up front with others about what you need and what you can really provide. Be realistic, people find honesty and reliability refreshing.

People get excited about ideas. But ideas are vague. Capitalise on that initial optimism- before the momentum runs out, distill the idea down to a plan. Pinpoint exactly what it is you want to achieve, and make sure everyone agrees on it. Be honest in your terms of engagement, and everyone can work cohesively towards a defined goal.

When you prototype and user test, quickly write down people’s initial critique. This is gold. Don’t defend it when they point out a flaw, don’t argue the point, and don’t interrupt, just catch everything they say. A first impression is what you’re bringing to market.