Blueprint for Design

So October the 10th of 2010 came and here in the Northwest it was raining (natch!), but like some movie plot device the rain stopped and the clouds broke as I pulled into Olympia to join up with 30 other volunteers to plant trees along route 101 and along a bike trail.

The event was part of 10:10:10 the Global Work Party organized by 350.0rg. In this case it was an event that was created by Elaine Sanders as she said “If you can’t find anything near you, organize it and tell 350 about it”, so she did. Elaine is in her 80′s and needs oxygen – but she was able to find Bob Barnes with WDOT, a landscape architect who has been in the process of replanting a steep cut along Rt. 101. Bob had been able to get a lot of the clearing done, and was able to get 180 trees of local varieties to plant. Together they were able to recruit 30 volunteers ranging in age from their 20′s to their 60′s to get the job done.

This is an example of the power of the internet to allow groups to inspire and work together to achieve an aim. I would say about a third of the volunteers found the event solely through on-line means and didn’t personally know Elaine or Bob. Around the world 350 was able to help coordinate over 7300 events around the world including Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq – places one would think are considered isolated. However with the dawning awareness that isolation is a construct of politics and culture – everyone can pull together toward stopping climate change.

So in your business what excites your customers? Is there a “meet up” campaign you can devise to bring your best customers together – maybe even in a volunteer fashion to do some local good. What is your passion, is it something your customer’s share? Find that commonality of passion and form an event around it.  Forging that connection and common experience is what makes community.