The community was people's sole focus before the internet came around, and somewhere the community focus vanished, but it's coming back. Prepare yourself for the next wave of freedom in communities.
Community is a foundational element of the human race, and just like in the rest of nature, there needs to be a structure for a community to survive and thrive.
Whether being involved in communities for leisure or professional purposes, there is likely to be a confrontation in some form or another eventually. Especially if that community is particularly passionate about the subjects, they discuss (arts, business, politics). There's no honest, straightforward answer for all ways to deal with it, which means that, like wildfire, confrontation in the community can get out of hand quickly and result in irreversible damage to the trust and validity of the community.
Structure and proper management of communities are essential to successfully moderating such conversations, but who should be responsible for it?
Most would correctly assume that the owner of the community and the designated managers need to take responsibility for the communities conversation by ensuring there are clear rules, boundaries, and systems in place to moderate such events, but what if the community itself thrives in being free and open to discuss a variety of topics?
A community is a group of people who share a similar value, goal, or vision; whether they know it or not, they all want the same thing, but that doesn't mean they'll always agree, and that's okay; we're all only human, we have emotions, and sometimes they get the better of us. That is no excuse to switch a conversation into an attack on an individual's views, no matter what they are.
People, for the most part, can only control three things: what they think, say, and do; this ensures the fact that not only is it the responsibility of the community owner/manager to ensure the safe moderation of tense conversations but of the individuals that collectively create the community itself.
Individuals taking responsibility for their words do not entirely resolve any owner's or manager's freedom from taking their share, as it is the defining role of a community manager to ensure safe and fair communication between others.
| When a flower does not bloom, you do not blame the flower but the environment.
Ensuring this level of balance is what makes the role of a community manager/moderator so complicated, as it requires a level of understanding, confidence, and neutrality that most do not possess to sit in the middle of an argument and understand that it is not they vs. them but groups of individuals who are passionate and care and confidently remind them that the conversation is to understand and not to win is a challenge.
Beginning a conversation with respect is essential; as I already mentioned, a community does not need to agree on everything, but they need to understand that the value of the community is the strength they feel together, and that's how a thriving community is grown. Fair, balanced, and understanding people who, despite their differences, will continue to support their vision to reach their goals.
To ensure you hold the structure in your community. It's essential to converse to understand through being empathetic and kind to all parties, regardless of their views. To continue to remind the community that although the freedom to discuss the topics they wish is well encouraged, disagreements that begin to stray from understanding one another are detrimental to the overall strength of the community and will not help achieve the goal.
Moderators should not necessarily avoid controversial conversations, but they should actively moderate them to foster understanding among community members instead of turning them into win-or-lose situations. While it is crucial to respect freedom of speech, even if you disagree with the discussed points, the focus should be on facilitating dialogue that promotes mutual understanding.
