Spontaneous vs. Planned Discussions: Finding A Balance in Tech Communities
Recently, I observed that in my community, unprompted conversations flow much more than planned ones. You know how you plan an entire discussion prompt for your community and you're anticipating an interesting conversation with members, and then you greet good evening and... crickets. But then, out of the blue, a member posts something or asks a question, and it sparks a discussion that births several others and stretches for a long time.
Don't feel frustrated... yet. Let us explore the engineering behind community discussions and see how you can make the best of both worlds, i.e spontaneous vs. planned discussions.
Do your community discussions feel forced?
I'm not going to go into the benefits of community discussions. That is so "Leveraging discussions in tech communities to foster growth" (ChatGPT anyone?) and that's not what we're doing here. Instead, take a minute and reflect. Think back to all the times you and your members talked about AI or Soft skills or DEI. Did it feel like you were forcing them to talk? Did you have to beg them to respond to you? Did you constantly have to steer the conversation back in the right direction? If you did, it might be time to try a new approach.
Spontaneous discussions in a techy context
Picture it: A member of your community saw a job posting for an intern with 3 years' experience and a net salary of 150k NGN.
They post a screenshot on the community, and everyone is interested. They have seen a similar ad in one place or the other, and everyone is roped into a long discussion about how Nigerian companies will crumble.
These kinds of discussions can be referred to as spontaneous because no one planned them. There are a few reasons why I love spontaneous discussions:
They allow creativity.
Members feel more connected when they share spontaneous moments.
They are flexible, making them more engaging for members.
There is no pressure on the moderator to ask a follow-up question or keep the discussion flowing.
However, they also have their downsides.
Lack of structure: Conversations can veer off-topic quite easily, making it difficult to achieve specific outcomes.
Inconsistent participation
You see how I left the downsides at two? We’ll let the pros outweigh the cons(No pun intended😎)
Vs. Planned Discussions
We've done this before, right? Where we choose a topic, like 'The Rise of AI' or 'Networking', and invite everyone to participate in the discussion. It has its ups and downs too.
Pros:
They’re easier to control since there’s a clear focus.
They’re usually more educative.
Everyone gets time to prepare and gather insights.
There is a focused outcome.
Cons:
There can be a sense of rigidity and pressure to perform.
It can occasionally feel dull and lose momentum.
There’s more I can think of, but let’s be fair 😅
Maximizing both approaches as a Community Manager
Before we go into how you can make the most of both approaches, there are a few things I want you to remember.
Don’t be rigid in your topic choices. Yes, we know you manage a web3 community, but we don’t have to talk about NFTs and blockchain all the time. If we want to talk about the iPhone 16, it’s still about tech.
Less is more. Quality and focus in discussions bring greater benefits than too many topics or excess information. Focus on fewer, high-quality discussions to provide more value to your community members and foster deeper connections.
Now let’s see how you as a community manager can leverage both approaches in your community.
Be flexible in planning: Let's not always stick to a strict agenda. We don’t necessarily want to have an icebreaker every time. You can even do an 'open mic' where everyone can say what's on their mind. It’s a great way to promote inclusivity and collaboration. Additionally, be prepared to adapt your plans based on the flow of the conversation. Speaking of which…..
Monitor and adapt: This is probably the most important tip here. It’s very important to be attentive to the conversation flow and go with it. If a particular topic sparks enthusiasm, you might need to adapt your plans to allow it to go further. This doesn’t mean you lost control. It means you’ve succeeded! However, if you can’t accommodate it immediately, make plans to revisit it on future occasions.
Gather Feedback: It’s also crucial to have a feedback mechanism in place. It does not have to be anything too serious, might just be a poll or short-answer questions. Just find out how they feel and what they liked or didn’t like. Then refine future discussions based on the feedback. It’s all about being agile; doing more of what works and less of what doesn’t.
As we've explored, both spontaneous and planned discussions have a vital role to play in fostering vibrant and engaging tech communities. The key is to find the right balance between these two approaches.
By embracing both spontaneous and planned discussions, you can build a tech community that is vibrant, engaging, and conducive to innovation. So, take the insights you've gained from this article and start putting them into practice today. Your community will thank you for it!