Of Crowdsourcing, Knowledge Workers, and Crowd Accelerated Innovation Part 1
October 8, 2010
An Introduction to Crowd Accelerated Innovation
Seth Godin a well respected thought-leader and Chris Anderson, another well respected thought-leader that represents many of you as the face of TED, recently discussed “one of those big ideas, a simple one that will stick with you for a long time” (Godin, 2010). Seth presents this idea as “Online Video” (2010). Now, to many of you online video is nothing new. In fact, a plethora of non-profit organizations use video nearly everyday to tell their stories. The power and influence of video, especially delivered via the online medium, is hard to argue against. It is due to this non-argument that online video as a communication vehicle is not the topic of this discussion as it was for Seth Godin. Rather, let us discuss briefly the requirements of Crowd Accelerated Innovation, how a knowledge worker might fit into crowdsourcing, and how a nonprofit organization can leverage both.
Chris explains Crowd Accelerated Innovation as, creators and their resultant innovations that deliver to everyone else the message “step your game up” (Anderson, 2010)! While this may not be a physical conscious act, it is nonetheless compounding result of cycles of improvement and leaps in the evolution of an idea that raise the standard of excellence.
According to Anderson (2010) there are three elements that are needed in order to start turning the innovation wheel.
- A Crowd – a group of people whom share a common interest
Chris highlights that the bigger the crowd the more potential innovators, commentators, trend-spotters, cheerleaders, skeptics, super-spreaders, and mavericks that will exist. This group of people will form the fabric, the ecosystem from which innovation emerges.
- Light – clear, open visibility, of what the best people in that crowd are capable of
Chris believes that possessing the knowledge of how others are functioning will allow you to learn how you will be empowered to participate.
- Desire – absent of desire, innovation quite simply will not happen
Innovation is hard work. In most cases it is based upon hundreds of hours of research and practice. This is why it is critical that all members of the crowd be actively engaged within their role.
I encourage you to spend 18 minutes of your life and watch Chris’ presentation to get a better understanding of this form of innovation before reading Part 2 which will be posted in the coming week.
References
Anderson, C. (Presenter). (2010). Chris anderson: how web video powers global innovation. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html
Godin, S. (2010, September 16). Beyond crowdsourcing. Retrieved from http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/09/beyond-crowdsourcing.html
Successful Sustainability in Nonprofits
July 24, 2010
Sustainability has a lot of definitions these days. Sometimes it refers to ecology and the environment. Other times it refers to economics and fiscal stability. And still at other times it refers to humanity and society itself. As of 2001 an entire field of science originated that has dedicated
itself to the advancement of understanding systems and their dynamics relating to sustainability (2001, Kates, R., Clark, W., Corell, R., et. all; and 2010, Harvard). In fact, there are many non-profit organizations and non-governmental agencies dedicated to the aforementioned definitions of sustainability. However, the most profitable definition would be one that identifies the capacity to endure. A definition that allows for continuation. A plan for an organization to become self-sustainable.
Self-Sustainability is the ability to indefinitely produce more than your organization consumes.
Read that again!
The key word is indefinitely. On a regular basis we want to have more available for use than what we actually can use. Day after day, month after month, year after year, if our organizations produce more than they consume, they will be sustainable. They will continue. They will endure.
But what do we want to produce more of?
As an organization we need to produce more resources, more time, more money, a more positive image, and more tangible results in order to ultimately produce more of our mission!
Why do we want to become self-sustainable?
Recent interviews with major donors conclude that they no longer want to give automatically…unless they see the evidence of how the entity will survive if they stop giving. (2009-2010, Personal Communications)
Additionally, our organization’s resources need to become more residual. If we stay still, if our organization, our mission, our resource engine stays stagnant, if these items do not progress, by default we are going backwards as others surpass us. As other groups develop and move further forward than we do we are losing ground. We are losing the capacity to deliver on our mission.
Finally, self-sustainability is important because without you and your organization, your mission would not get accomplished!
As Simon Sinek proclaims (2010), success is achieved through being inspired by the thing you’re pursuing. When applied to sustainability, success means that entities can achieve self-sustainability through community and relationships. As Harvard’s Sustainability Science Program identifies, by focusing on the dynamics between systems, sustainability can be achieved. In organizations, by focusing on relationships and community building, Self-Sustainability can be achieved.
Stayed tuned for further articles related to Community and Relationship Building for Self-Sustainability. Please also check out the modules of this presentation, originally delivered in Portugal, May 2010, on Slideshare.net.
References
Harvard sustainability science program. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/programs/sustsci
Kates, R., Clark, W., Corell, R., Hall, J., Jaeger, C., Lowe, I., McCarthy, J., Schellnhuber, H-J., Bolin, B., Dickson, N., Faucheux, S., Gallopin, G., Grubler, A., Huntley, B., Jager, J., Jodha, N., Kasperson, R., Mabogunje, A., Matson, P., & Mooney, H. 2001. Sustainability science. Science 292(5517): 641–642.
Sinek, S. (2010, July 20). What will You sacrifice? [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://sinekpartners.typepad.com/refocus/2010/07/sacrifice.html
Non Profit Communication Vehicles
March 7, 2010
Social Media seems to have taken the marketing world by storm. Words such as “viral”, “online”, “offline”, “always on”, “champions”, “friends”, “lurkers”, “peer-to-peer”, “network”, “engagement”, and “groundswell” have all emerged from this trend victorious and redefined. 
Social Media is sometimes interpreted as any type of marketing and communication executed on the internet. This however is not true. Social Media is simply one of many online vehicles used for such endeavors. Yet long before there were online methods of delivering your organization’s message there were offline methods of communication.
Most people realize that there are various forms of transportation vehicles. They come in all shapes and sizes. Each type has its own specific use and function. A company or a person must learn which type is the best to move specific items. For example, a train is great for moving large quantities of material at a steady pace over a long distance. However, a train is relegated to land (it won’t go very far on water). A train then would not be the vehicle of choice to cross a large body of water such as an ocean. In this case a jet plane or a ship might be used to accomplish the transportation need.
Crossing land and crossing the ocean are relatively easy examples to follow. But how does one decide between a train and a semi-truck, a van or a car, or a plane or a helicopter? These decisions in transportation can be difficult because the medium is the same. There are only idiosyncrasies that separate the modes, and so it is with delivering your nonprofit’s message.
| Communication Vehicles | Type
|
Function | Audience
|
| Online | |||
| Websites | |||
| Your own | Get people to know, like, and trust you; attract soon-to-be constituents | Potential constituents, 1st Tier of Non-constituents | |
| Partner’s | Get people to know you, provide creditability, attract unexplored constituents | Potential constituents, 3rd Tier of Non-constituents | |
| Search Engine | |||
| Organic | Free, general awareness (non-targeted results) | Passive seekers | |
| Paid Ads | Not free, targeted results, text based | Active seekers | |
| Online public relations | |||
| Syndicated content | Build a fan-base, loyalty | Current list subscribers | |
| Pod-casting | Build trust through demonstrating knowledge | Non-list subscribers | |
| Online magazines | Build credibility/trust, attract refusing constituents | General industry, 2nd Tier of Non-customers | |
| Blog | Get people to know and like you, build credibility, attract soon-to-be constituents | General industry, 1st Tier of Non-constituents | |
| Paid Advertising | |||
| Banner ads | Not free, targeted results, graphic based | Active seekers | |
| other’s e-newsletter | General awareness (non-targeted results), attract unexplored constituents | Passive seekers, 3rd Tier of Non-constituents | |
| Email Marketing | |||
| e-newsletter | General updates | Current constituents | |
| campaign | Specific update | Current constituents & donors | |
| Social Media & Networking | |||
| Relational marketing and community building | Adult and career | ||
| micro-blogging, get people to know and like you | All ages and walks of life | ||
| MySpace | Relational/Trend marketing and community building | Teenagers and young adults | |
| YouTube | Video community, educate | Learners, all ages | |
| Flickr | Image community, general sharing and inspiration | Learners, all ages | |
| Cinchcast | Micro pod-casting, get people to know and like you | Adult and career, learners seeking reputable info | |
| Professional and industry communities, attract refusing and unexplored constituents | Adult and Career, 2nd & 3rd Tier Non-constituents | ||
| Offline | |||
| Traditional Public Relations | |||
| Speaking at Conventions/Conferences | Educate, get people to trust you, build credibility, attract soon-to-be constituents | Industry specific, adults and career, 1st Tier of Non-constituents | |
| Press Release | Announcements, attract unexplored constituents | General and industry specific, 3rd tier of Non-constituents | |
| Hold Press Conference | Announcements, pleas, revelations, attract soon-to-be constituents | Industry specific, 1st Tier of Non-constituents and current constituents | |
| Publish Articles | Educate, get people to know you, build credibility, attract soon-to-be and refusing constituents | General industry, 1st & 2nd Tier of Non-constituents | |
| Paid Advertising | |||
| Commercials | General awareness, semi-targeted | Passive seekers | |
| Print Ads | General awareness, semi-targeted | Passive seekers | |
| Radio Spots | General awareness, semi-targeted | Passive seekers | |
| Direct & Select Mail | |||
| Informational | Educate, get people to know you, attract soon-to-be and refusing constituents | Current constituents and 1st & 2nd Tier Non-constituents | |
| Fundraising | Raise support | Current constituents and donors | |
| Events | |||
| Fundraiser | Raise support | Current constituents | |
| Meet & Greet | Get people to know you, attract soon-to-be constituents | 1st Tier Non-constituents | |
| Community
(Local/National/International) |
General awareness, attract refusing and unexplored constituents | 2nd & 3rd Tier Non-constituents | |
| Broadcast Programming | |||
| Television | Educate, get people to know and trust you, build credibility | Active seekers | |
| Radio | Educate, get people to know and trust you, build credibility | Active seekers |
As one can see Social Media, and Social Networking platforms, are just one presence (aspect) of communicating online with an organization’s constituency. There is a time and place for online marketing, and a time and a place for offline marketing. Using these two broad channels in a directed, purposeful, and message driven way will ensure that your nonprofit maximizes its return on investment for its communications and marketing budget.
Author’s Note: This post discusses Social Media, Social Networks and online marketing. Many times Social Media and Social Networking are considered one in the same, however they completely different. One provides a platform for advertising and delivering one’s message and information; and the other deals with building community. The most popular of these platforms are obviously those which allow for both, such as Facebook.
Social Media is defined as delivering one’s adverts, information and message (the content) via a relational marketing (social network) platform.
Social Network is defined as community building platforms wherein one can connect with another based upon a relationship.
40 Days of Water
February 17, 2010
NPOdev is making a change over the next #40Days.
In short, it’s a way to give clean water to Africa by making water your only beverage for the next #40Days
Here are some facts:What if you ONLY drank water for the next 40 days and gave all other drink money to Africa??
Let’s say you spend an average of $4/day on beverages other than water (whether at home or at work), $4 x 40 days = $160 or 321, 920 Ugandan Shillings.
Don’t just give something up; put something better in its place.
Imagine the difference YOU can make! (You can also click the image below.)
