“From “coffee girl” to Executive Director, I have started and participated in countless discussions centered on developing community. Community this and community that. Why aren’t we succeeding with defining and developing community? Why are those strategic imperatives still so hard to translate into tactical success?

In my humble opinion, in our zeal to build these “We Are the World”-type amorphous communities we sometimes fail to recognize the need for smaller communities within. We cannot expect our organizations to wield any large-scale influence until we break them apart and allow our members to locate and join smaller groups who share more than the industry or profession but also the same values, likes and dislikes as individuals not just colleagues. We have to leave judgment at the door and give people a safe environment to actually express the authenticity we keep asking them for. Just because I am an association professional and embrace the values of the profession as a whole does not mean I am not continually on the hunt for other association peeps who think X Saves the World by Jeff Gordinier is a seminal work, Yoda is a philosopher and the Fender Stratocaster is a gift from God.”

- Shelley Alcorn, from this post on her new blog Association Subculture. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Please welcome her to the association blogosphere and subscribe!