In every community, we find some people who contribute a lot and some who contribute very little, with many people in between. These different layers of participation are natural and change over time. However, if we leave them unnamed, they can lead to feelings of guilt, frustration and burnout. In a healthy community we define clear roles and find ways to honor the different levels of engagement.
In the inner circle we find people who take care of the whole (sometimes called stewards, guardians or firekeepers). In the middle circle are people who actively participate in the community (members or co-creators). And in the outer circle are people who choose to connect more loosely (friends or followers). These roles are dynamic. People move between them as their lives change. A healthy community defines thresholds for joining the different circles and creates clear agreements around reciprocity, resources and power.
<aside> ✨ Do you have a powerful resource we could add to the list? Please add your suggestion here.
</aside>