Todd Nilson

When Palgrave Macmillan commissioned me to write the entry on Digital Communities and Public Affairs for their Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs, it forced me to answer a question most organizations in the space haven't seriously confronted: what is a digital community actually for, and why do so many of them fail to deliver on their promise?

The entry starts with the definitional problem. Most organizations conflate digital communities with social media… Show more

When Palgrave Macmillan commissioned me to write the entry on Digital Communities and Public Affairs for their Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs, it forced me to answer a question most organizations in the space haven't seriously confronted: what is a digital community actually for, and why do so many of them fail to deliver on their promise?

The entry starts with the definitional problem. Most organizations conflate digital communities with social media platforms, which is a category error with real consequences. Drawing on classical sociology and decades of community practice, it establishes what separates a genuine community from a broadcast channel — and why that distinction determines whether members show up, contribute, and stay.

From there it moves through the full architecture of a working community: the three layers of trust members need before they'll participate, the governance and role structures that keep communities accountable, the platform landscape and how to evaluate it, and the predictable lifecycle stages from concept through launch, growth, maturity, and whatever comes next — sustaining, evolving, or decline. The public affairs use cases get specific treatment: advocacy, grassroots organizing, volunteer capacity, collective problem-solving, and sentiment analysis at scale.

The closing section, written before ChatGPT entered the public conversation, anticipates AI and machine learning automating the rote work of moderation and onboarding, and looks ahead at clustered community models and virtual world environments.

Public affairs organizations have more community infrastructure available to them than ever. Most are underusing it, or using it in ways that quietly undermine the trust they're trying to build. If that gap sounds familiar, this is a reasonable place to start. Show less

In Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder (2012), Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) introduces Antifragility.

"Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile."

Throughout 2015, various conversation panels focused on exploring the… Show more

In Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder (2012), Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) introduces Antifragility.

"Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile."

Throughout 2015, various conversation panels focused on exploring the practice of Antifragility (that is, Practice Beyond the Rhetoric) --- hosted by Barry Bettman (@barrybettman), Si Alhir (@SAlhir), Russ Miles (@russmiles), and Ross Girardi (@Consciousmgt) --- as well as share experiences and offer perspective on how to apply Antifragility through the following questions:

* How have you interpreted Taleb’s concept of Antifragility?
* How have you translated your interpretation into practice?
* What are the results and impacts of your efforts?

All the recordings are freely available (http://exploringthepracticeofantifragility.wordpress.com).

Based on our ongoing exploration, we share a kaleidoscope of perspectives . . .

Contributors: Brad Barton, Tony Bendell, Mark Ferraro, Vincenzo De Florio, Tom Graves, Todd Nilson, and Elinor Slomba Show less

These 99 questions will help your organization to get started on the road to building am employer branding strategy that integrates both your social media and live efforts to identify your company as a great place to work.

While companies have never questioned the damaging potential of bad press, the newness of the social media space as a place to listen for and respond quickly to comments or reviews has caught many organizations flat-footed.

Developing trust among team members is critical for achieving high performance outcomes. Recently, global business operations necessitated working in a team environment with colleagues outside traditional organizational boundaries, across distances, and across time zones. In this article, we discuss how human resource practices can support organizational initiatives when business operations mandate increased virtual teamwork. We examine the role of HR in enhancing relationship building and the… Show more

Developing trust among team members is critical for achieving high performance outcomes. Recently, global business operations necessitated working in a team environment with colleagues outside traditional organizational boundaries, across distances, and across time zones. In this article, we discuss how human resource practices can support organizational initiatives when business operations mandate increased virtual teamwork. We examine the role of HR in enhancing relationship building and the development of trust among workers who may rarely, if ever, meet face-toface. Using research from teamwork, social exchange theory, and knowledge sharing, we discuss how four areas of human resources management—recruitment, training, performance appraisal, and compensation/reward— might combine with technology to facilitate the development of trust among virtual team members. Show less

Abstract: The process map is a logical starting point for recruiters and HR professionals who want to use quality tools to improve their hiring procedures.

How to find and get the job or internship of your dreams. I was a contributor to the book edited by Steven John Rothberg, providing a chapter called "How to Find and Work with a Recruiter."

As co-author of Mecatol Rex: The Star in the Crown, a sourcebook for the Twilight Imperium role‑playing game, I helped bring the political heart of a vast galactic empire to life for game masters and players. The book explores Mecatol Rex, the former seat of the mighty Lazax, as a living setting where rival powers debate the fate of millions in the Galactic Council while ancient secrets stir beneath the planet’s surface. Through this project, I crafted lore, factions, and narrative hooks that… Show more

As co-author of Mecatol Rex: The Star in the Crown, a sourcebook for the Twilight Imperium role‑playing game, I helped bring the political heart of a vast galactic empire to life for game masters and players. The book explores Mecatol Rex, the former seat of the mighty Lazax, as a living setting where rival powers debate the fate of millions in the Galactic Council while ancient secrets stir beneath the planet’s surface. Through this project, I crafted lore, factions, and narrative hooks that connect high‑stakes diplomacy with the mysteries of a fallen empire, giving storytellers a rich backdrop of power brokers, Imperial City intrigue, and strange beings hidden below. It reflects my long‑standing interest in how complex worlds are built, how institutions shape behavior, and how well-designed settings invite people not just to consume a story but to co‑create it together at the table. Show less

As a co-author of Twilight Imperium: The Role-Playing Game, I helped translate a sprawling strategy-board-game universe into a tabletop RPG setting where players step into the middle of a dangerous, politically charged galaxy. The core book presents a richly detailed universe of action, mystery, and intrigue, framing Twilight Imperium as a dynamic, constantly evolving space opera in which empires rise and fall, alliances shift, and ordinary characters navigate the fault lines of power. My work… Show more

As a co-author of Twilight Imperium: The Role-Playing Game, I helped translate a sprawling strategy-board-game universe into a tabletop RPG setting where players step into the middle of a dangerous, politically charged galaxy. The core book presents a richly detailed universe of action, mystery, and intrigue, framing Twilight Imperium as a dynamic, constantly evolving space opera in which empires rise and fall, alliances shift, and ordinary characters navigate the fault lines of power. My work on this project focused on building a playable vision of that universe—defining its factions and conflicts, articulating the tone of “political space opera,” and giving game masters tools to turn galactic-scale stories into personal, at-the-table drama. It reflects the same instincts I bring to community strategy today: create a clear setting, define the stakes, and then invite people to co-create rich, shared experiences inside it. Show less