Here’s what I’m thinking:

1. I love comments on this blog. Why? Because every single one of them took thought, asks questions or adds to the conversation, and provides an opportunity for me to connect directly with all the smart people who read this blog.  I always (okay, 99.9% of the time) respond to comments via email and really value the exchanges that follow (whether they are on the blog or just in email).  I love this touch and go conversation so much that I want to take it to the next level!

2. I know you are smarter than I am. Why? Because I’m in a position by blogging away as I do to start conversations or serve as a convener for people looking to share ideas via the comments after blog posts but I’m not the one with all the answers or examples or tips.  We get all the good stuff when we come together and share.  So I want to do even more to create opportunities for that sharing and smartness to shine!

3. I’m ready to commit to this relationship. How? I’ve been blogging, facilitating, training, and collaborating with other amazing people in this space – technology and social change – for a while now and it’s no secret that this is my thing.  I’m not going anywhere.  I’m excited at the prospect of dedicating some consistent time to creating better dialogue for my readers and all of our colleagues!

Here the proposal:

Live weekly discussions hosted on this blog.

Who: You, me, and anyone else interested in listening or joining in.

Date: I am thinking Wednesdays because it is the day of the week I almost always am available without meetings or anything else.  I could be swayed by good argument for another day though.

Time: In order to get as many people as possible participating from the West Coast of the US all the way to Australia, well, I’m just not sure.  If it is 7 am in Australia, it’s 10 pm in London, and 2 pm in US Pacific.  That means we could all be awake, but 10 pm for me is not ideal for a mentally stimulating conversation!  What do others think?

Topic: I am open to just hosting, seeing who shows up, and having conversations as they develop organically.  Or, equally, having topics or even doing short presentations and then having conversation.  Or a mix.  What would you prefer? What would be most valuable to you?

We can start in September and give it a go for a while, evaluate together and continue iterating to co-create a valuable weekly conversation for all of us – that’s what community is all about, right?!

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts, ideas, and answers to the above questions to get some shape to the weekly discussion plan!