This summer I’m participating in a neighborhood accelerator to see what it takes to unlock hyper-local community on my block on the Upper West Side. I'm doing this as part of the Cabin community cohort, and you can read their Month 2 Update on how progress has been going for 16 of us all around the world.

Overall this has been a summer of many fits and starts on my block. I’ve met about 40 people on the block, hosted a couple of events for my building, and done a couple of very small installations and activations. But it’s been slow going.

Yesterday during our weekly community stewards sync with some of the other neighborhood builders I was lamenting the fact that, even in the same breath that people on the street thank me publicly for doing good work on community (ie: planting some new flowers in a tree well), they reject my offer to take their phone number and keep them informed about block updates.

I was asked, “Well, how are you asking them? Can we explore this a little?” 

I said, “Honestly, during that particular incident, my hands were in gardening gloves and stuffed in the middle of dirt while I was planting. I invited them to add their info on the clipboard that I left on the ground next to the tree.”

“That’s your problem right there,” she said. “The clipboard.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Nobody likes clipboards. Clipboard people are the ones who stand on corners who you always look to avoid, they are the ones going door to door selling things you don’t want. Clipboards signal, ‘Add me to your system.’ Nobody wants to be part of a system. They want to be your friend.”

In an instant I knew she was right. I’ve been using a clipboard because it’s easier for me to track people. But it’s certainly not a delightful experience on the other side.

Sometimes the simplest tools can unintentionally send the wrong message.

Beware the clipboard.