(2003-05-24) Schmaltz Proj Community

Excellent David Schmaltz posting about thinking of a Project Team as a Project Community. I think of the role of project community membership as bringing with it a set responsibilities, similar to the responsibilities that Citizenship carries... This transforms the project assignment into something other than simply an individual fulfilling a role "for" the project, which can place the individual's needs, interests, and full capabilities into the background behind their defined project role, at some level sacrificing themselves for the project, into one where an individual's role becomes a medium for them to more fully express themselves... In a classic project role, someone tells you what to do and you agree to do it. If you aren't directed to do it, you can't be held accountable for it not getting done. The community member's role isn't structured like that... With the project community member role come a number of "enlightened Self Interest"-level choices, (including) the choice (Agency) of using your assigned role as a medium for pursuing your own purpose, because this creates the foundation for a personally and collectively Juicy experience... That these ethics are better known than they are commonly exercised was one of the reasons I wrote the book in the first place. Our Mastering Project Work workshop focuses upon these choices, and helps individuals bring this often Tacit Knowledge into more mindful play. So, as a Project Manager, I will assign roles and responsibilities, and as a project Community Builder, I will engage in conversations focused upon helping others find their project within their project assignment. (Mission, Shared Mission, Games Theory)

Feb'2009: coming at it from another angle. No One Is Apathetic, Except When Pursuing Someone Else's Goals (cf disengagement)