If you want something done right...

...embrace change and the people who can help you when they are standing right in front of you. Key to building a great community as far as I'm concerned.

We've been doing a lot of scene building workshops at the camps we've been teaching at lately and it's been interesting. San Francisco, where we come from, has had a vibrant swing scene through many transitions and struggles and people seem to be interested in how a community can grow so big and still be cohesive. It's funny to hear the preconceived notions about it that they come with and just how far off base they usually are.

Here are the keys to building a scene, any scene, as far as I see them. Some may seem counterintuitive in that they go against standard "business" practices. But your community isn't a business. It's a community. A community that you happen to be running a business inside of.

1. Don't talk smack about anyone. Refrain from writing that scathing post on the chat board that you are dying to write. Don't have conversations about how screwed up people are in your scene. If someone is being a jerk, let the universe handle it. The karma wheel eventually spins and jerks get their comeuppance. No further action is needed on your part. The voice of experience talking here.

2. Decentralize it!! If your scene is run by one central person or body of people, it's growth is being inhibited. There needs to be room for new ideas and new people for there to be a vibrant and living community.

3. Don't be territorial. Encourage everybody to take classes with everyone that they can and to go to as many other venues as they can. Not everyone is going to like what you do and it's unfair not to let them see the big picture. If you love your students/customers, set them free. You'll see them again. And, if you don't, think about what you can do to improve your product. Meanwhile, be glad that they found somebody that fits their learning style better than you did.

4. Concentrate on your product, not the competition. Too many people spend their time worrying about competition instead of improving their teaching/product. If you have the best product people will seek you out. In ten years of teaching in the Bay Area, Sharon and I spent exactly $0 on advertising. ALL of our business was word of mouth. Improve the product, improve the returns. Plus, It's more fun than worrying.

5. Always be learning. I am always working on my teaching and dancing through reading, experimentation, and practice. I think that you need to continue to evolve as a teacher in order to move closer to mastery. People know if you are resting on your laurels and they resent it. It takes a lot of energy to follow this rule but it's always been worth it.

6. Don't chase the last nickel. When we ran our dance in San Francisco, the guest list was almost as long as the list of paying customers. Why? Because the people who we let in for free were mavens in the community. They were the trend setters and the ambassadors of the swing scene. Where they went, others followed. We also let them take classes for free. Never underestimate the power of having experienced people who also happen to be nice in an inexperienced class. The impact is well worth it. Give away a lot of valuable stuff. What does it cost you really? Nothing. In fact, it will make you money.

7. You are full of shit. Remember this when you start feeling touchy or territorial about your scene. It's just fear talking to you. Feel free to acknowledge it and move on to being the awesome scene builder that you are.

8. Delegate. Repeat after me: "Although I am a total control freak, I acknowledge that I am unable to run an entire scene by myself. I henceforth promise to ask for help and empower people who want to help me." Feel better? No? Wow, you really are a control freak.

more later...