Social entrepreneurs add zest to RSA’s civic innovation mission

I’m really hopeful that the RSA social entrepreneur’s network, launched last night, will bring a fresh burst of energy to the contribution the 250-year-old organisation can make to social action and civic innovation. The RSA has an excellent events (read more...)

Rethinking networks as passionate human clouds

A meeting in London with Peggy Duvette, chief executive of WiserEarth, and also with Ed Mitchell, sparked some thoughts about networking – global, local, and organisational. Well, questions mostly. Warning: this is a bit of ramble that also takes (read more...)

Crowds, tribes, teams: Tuttle turns to consulting

Most Friday mornings in London social media types gather at  The Tuttle Club. It isn’t so much a place as a style of doing things, and a moving cloud of conversations gently crafted and convened by Lloyd Davis.

RSA rebranding: is Twitter the one to beat?

The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has survived my cull of memberships because, although the conventional benefits are thin, it is currently such an interesting place. I’m paid up for another year, and even pondered taking life membership to avoid such vacilitation in future.
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First video interview with MPs’ expenses leak source

Last night’s gathering of the RSA London City Network was full of interesting people, but none more man-of-the-moment that Henry Gewanter, who I discovered to be the key go-between in leaking details of MPs’ expense claims to the Daily Telegraph.
Our discussions up to that (read more...)

RSA offers support to community websites

Last month the RSA ran a fascinating if inevitably rather theoretical seminar on digital inclusion and social capital … now the 250-year-old organisation is taking practical action to support community activists who want to develop websites, following up an idea first floated by chief executive Matthew Taylor.
The aim is to bring together people active in their communities, but new to social media, with RSA Fellows and friends who can help, in a one-day event in London on July 11 (update: now Friday 10th). (read more...)

Blogging bosses

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA writes a fine blog, with even-handed political commentary drawing on his experience at No 10, conversations with thought-leaders platforming at RSA events, RSA projects and internal development. But like all bloggers, there are moments of self doubt. Early on it was reference to Mum as Matthew’s only reader. Now there’s a (notional) blow to self-esteem when one of the directors of Matthew’s old haunt IPPR says ‘we all have a good laugh about your blog  – it’s all me, me, me’. In a comment I point Matthew to a far more self-regarding blog by ACEVO CEO Stephen Bubb. Even though I get the link wrong Rob Greenland alerts us to a brilliant parody Bogg’s Blubb - ‘life of the head of the umbella body for umbrellas’. Matthew is entranced. Blogging bosses are firmly established on he third sector. Any more fakes?

Common Purpose: the perils of being closed

Some years back I went on a course run by Common Purpose, during which over a year a group of us made visits to schools, prisons, newspaper offices and the like, and took part in discussions all in the pursuit of civil leadership.
It was pleasant enough, and a chance to meet people from different sectors and professions, but I was never clear quite how we became “leaders” (or that I wanted to).
The Common Purpose founder Julia Middleton evidently had strong views on how things should be done, so it definitely wasn’t in my experience a very bottom-up sort of organisation. There was an online system which Common Purpose “graduates” were occasionally exhorted to use, but it was (and is) very Web 1.0 and behind a login.
Back in 2004 I did have some discussion with staff about how blogging might be useful as part of their communications and work with groups … but the open style didn’t appeal. I said I couldn’t see how you could develop innovative projects for public benefit unless you were prepared to engage publicly, and wrote Effective civil leadership won’t develop behind a login.
Last year the then manager of the online network contacted me and others to say the organisation was being targeted by critical bloggers, and accused of being a secret society promoting a whole range of evils. What should they do? My advice was simple – open up, start blogging back. Encourage your staff and graduates to do so. Still didn’t appeal. (see correction at the end of his post)
I’ve just received a note from Common Purpose alerting me to a programme tonight on Radio 5 live (podcast here), with an accompanying article on the BBC site, quoting former naval officer Brian Gerrish, who leads a campaign against Common Purpose:

It’s a secret society for careerists. The key point is that the networking is done out of sight of the general public.
If you actually look at the documented evidence as to what Common Purpose is doing, they are clearly not just a training provider. They are operating a highly political agenda, which is to create new chosen leaders in society.

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Rethinking RSA networks, playfully

About 30 RSA Fellows and friends enjoyed an afternoon last week playing – very constructively – with Lego and plasticine under the guidance of David Gauntlett, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Westminster. I’ve written before about David’s metaphorical modelling, and this time we were discussing the future of RSA networks and other activities. Excellent reports from Mike Amos-Simpson, Leon Cych and Tessy Britton.

Clay Shirky: nonprofits must become new-style convenors – or lose their members

Clay Shirky really pins down what any organisation relying on members or supporters for its life must do if it is to stay in business as people increasing network online. That means change for campaigning charities, trade associations, and membership bodies who may (read more...)