Am I a Member of a Tribe?

Sure.  Everyone is a member of many tribes.  Sometimes being a tribe member is as simple as feeling associated with particular people (political party, etc.).  Other times, tribal membership requires a barrier to entry (initiation, etc.) 

When you’re feeling an association with certain people, you’re probably a member of a tribe.  Consider these examples:

- You really like Barack Obama, you agree with his ideas and find yourself feeling connected to others who support him.  Although you’ve never met him or his supporters, you’re in the Obama Tribe.

- You feel strongly about your 2nd Amendment rights.  You feel there are too many gun control laws already.  You want more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens and less guns in the hands of criminals.  You’re in the gun rights tribe.

- Here’s a more traditional tribe.  You’re a member of a church.  You’re a member of that particular “tribe”.  You’re connected to the Church leader and the other members.

- Here’s a less obvious, but very large tribe.  You love Diet Pepsi.  You identify better with others who like Diet Pepsi and wonder how anyone can possibly drink that “other stuff”.  You’re in the Diet Pepsi Tribe.   

- Tribes are everywhere and they’re here to say.  What makes them so important now is the Net.  An explosion of tribes have formed on the Net.  If you use the Net, you’re probably a member of many tribes that wouldn’t have been possible without it.

Comments

[Joseph Sherman]

I just read your manifesto Learning to
View Your Customers
as a Powerful Tribe. Your idea to send a customer service phone call or e-mail to the CEO is great. Would you consider sending the CEO and VPs to do a day "regular" work face to face with the tribe?

[Ed Welch]

Hi Joseph:

Thanks for your kind words. I think that having a CEO, a VP, or any other "executive" do a day of "regular work" is a GREAT idea. In fact, I would go as far as saying it should be mandatory.