inspired by James LaRue; written by Wanda Reinholdt and
Patricia Timmermans
How to create a fun, irresistible community!
Building a community of loyal members can feel like an
insurmountable task in a world where our direct competitors are YouTube,
Netflix and online gaming! And faced with such stiff competition, can we dare hope
to attract a new audience?
Fortunately, there’s hope! The keynote speaker at Marigold
Library System’s 2016 Workshop, recently shared his answer to ‘how do we create
irresistible community?’
James LaRue, Director of the American Library Association’s
Office for Intellectual Freedom, unveiled in his compelling address “Passion,
Purpose, Play” one of the keys to thriving today - telling stories of our
successes.
With so many ways for people to spend their social time, it
is essential for organizations to be unique; the stories told are what make that
community unique!
The stories that people love to hear are of personal
experiences. They are the testimonials shared from the joys, successes and even
the fears that helped someone else feel that they were not alone.
The Hope Bridges Team has been using story for years and many
of these stories are about powerful experiences that participants have within
our community. These stories energize and encourage our team and members. They
are used to advocate and market our community and as a result, we are seeing a
steady increase in growth and ownership.
Why is story the hope for communities today? Stories are
personal – they connect hearts. Story motivates and educates. It helps leaders remember
the reason they believe in the mission. It builds the capacity of the
community, and helps to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. Most
importantly, story enables us to understand and empathize with others.
In his address, Jamie reminded us, “We are not rational
creatures. We are feeling creatures who think; not thinking creatures who
feel.”
When we use story to connect to the heart that feels, we
change lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment