I intend on sharing pieces from John Gerzema’s book Spend Shift once I’ve completely finished it- here’s something that couldn’t wait…

As we continue to define the value of digital connectivity (and really connections in general), we might ought to revisit what real connections look like. John mentions on p85, Douglas Atkin’s community checklist of which I’ve listed the contents below. The chapter also references an excellent article in Forbes from 2/2010 by Douglas on “tips for attracting ecstatic followers who will spread your brand gospel”.

The deeper the connection goes and the more that people understand one another and what values they have or what goal they share; then the closer you get to a true community. Community checklist:
-Does it satisfy a real need? Do its members learn more, have more fun, get more done or get support?
-Does it have a clearly articulated purpose?
-Is it clear about who belongs and who doesn’t?
-Is there interaction between members?
-Are there enduring relationships formed between members that go beyond the original reason for connecting?
-Do they contribute, do they participate, do they work together to achieve the common purpose? Being an audience is not a community.
-Do they feel responsibility for each other and the community at large?
-Are there roles, responsibilities and jobs performed by the membership?
-Is it self-policing? Do people censure or eject unruly or unreasonable members?
-Are there guidelines, rules, or norms of behavior?

Didn’t get to go?
Click here for the presentations and what-not.

Language and visual thought organizers are a thing of mine. I tend to create ’em and then put them in my back pocket. For example, I’ve pulled out a “me, my, why” construct (below) before when considering human motivations and depth of involvement.

me (self), my (community), why (altruism)

Recently, I’ve pocketed “reflective or perspective”. I think this was borne from a trip to San Diego where my best friend and I attended a lecture one Sunday. Part of the lecturer’s spiel was that if you find yourself at conflict, that conflict is reflective of the value existing in you. I think this is off; rather, I think it’s one side of a mountain. You might also have absolutely no correlation with the conflict because you are of a different perspective. That, instead of a reflection, it’s about having a different perspective. Typing this now, I think I’ve simply extended on “me, my and why”- ‘reflective’ lands in the ‘my’ space and ‘perspective’ lands in the ‘why’. Back to the back pocket for now…

I picked up my copy at the bookstore on Monday and am now (really) reading it.

Yesterday, I received the following email from John and I thought I would share:

I’m very pleased to announce the release of my latest book, Spend Shift: How The Post-Crisis Values Revolution is Changing The Way We Buy, Sell and Live.

Along with my partner Michael D’Antonio, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, we spent the last two years gathering data, and traveling through Red and Blue states to understand how the Great Recession has affected people’s lives. Americans are not defeated by the downturn but instead are proudly returning to bedrock American virtues—thrift, faith, self-reliance, community, hard work and more—in order to build new lives of purpose and connection.

People still buy, but they’ve shifted from mindless to mindful consumption. And their every purchase is less about materialism and more about voting for their values with their dollars. The result is the first on-the-ground report from the quiet revolution of values that is remaking the American economy and reshaping the global marketplace.

I hope you can support Spend Shift and spread the work through your social networks.

READ: the Interview in Inc. Magazine
WATCH: the authors video-podcast discussion
BUY: Spend Shift on Amazon

All the best,