I’m a student of history. I truly believe the old adage, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” However, I also understand history is inherently biased. It is based on the experiences and memory of whomever is doing the telling. There aren’t always two sides to a story; the result being history gets warped as it passes down.
In the nearly five years I’ve lived here, I’ve learned Phoenix is ALL about history – being afraid of it and holding on it at the same time.
When I came on staff as Director of Operations at Gangplank, the organization was nearly three years into its existence. I myself had only been coming to Gangplank for a little over six months when I was hired. I hardly understood what Gangplank was, let alone how it got started and the original crew that shaped the manifesto.
Before I even knew the history of the organization I was working for, I began to be affected by it.
Image by politicalhumor.about.com
No organization is ever shaped without turmoil. There is a great deal of passion surrounding this community, which is often compared to a religion or cult. There are those passionate about moving Gangplank forward, and those that would like nothing better than to see it torn down. Regardless of the feelings, no one disputes that Gangplank is no longer a small revolution fighting the Man. Gangplank is a big dog, which can throw its weight around and therefore, the elephant in the room for any discussion on coworking and workspace in Arizona. As a result, Gangplank automatically becomes the ‘Them’ when any new group comes into the coworking space, fueling the animosity for another cycle.
I learned the hard way that I would be judged and disliked simply for being a part of this organization. People wouldn’t return emails, or vehemently opposed invitations to collaborate on projects. I started feeling like an outcast at meetups and groups, with individuals concerned about talking to me in case it got back to someone at Gangplank they didn’t like. And people I had never met before were now counting me among their enemies.
I’m not looking for pity. I’ve grown tremendously in this job partly due to the adversity of working for such a unique organization. I am looking for people to understand the impact history has on those that weren’t a part of it.
The fights, the falling outs, the firings or the events gone wrong have nothing to do with me or the generation of community leaders that will come after. It is one thing to share the lessons of the past – it is another to set these leaders against each other before they’ve ever set out. The experiences you have had with an individual or organization may not be theirs and there’s no way to learn if you don’t let them try.
We’re standing in the way of our own progress by holding onto the past. Perhaps in the case of Phoenix, it’s best of we just laid it all to rest.
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“I learned the hard way that I would be judged and disliked simply for being a part of this organization. People wouldn’t return emails, or vehemently opposed invitations to collaborate on projects. I started feeling like an outcast at meetups and groups, with individuals concerned about talking to me in case it got back to someone at Gangplank they didn’t like. And people I had never met before were now counting me among their enemies.”
You know, as I became more active in the Gangplank community, I began to notice this from some areas of my life. I really wish it wasn’t true that there are sides that we must choose, but I think you hit the bullseye on this post. It’s unfortunate that we cannot get along on a more human level. But I guess the behavior IS human nature and has been throughout history. That’s why it is so important to be true to yourself.
I will never understand why people oppose anything that is beneficial, even if it doesn’t happen to work for *them*. There are so many great services and places to choose from, I figure if you don’t like something, and it hasn’t hurt you in any way, then just don’t use it and move the hell on. For some reason, people in general seem to be more willing to put things down then show a little support. You see it in everything, from the tiniest change in Facebook, to presidential campaign ads. Katie you are pretty damn amazing and an important part of the community. It shows in your grace and how professionally you handle the negative. Just remember you have more support than you do enemies.
Long. Live. Gangplank.
Keep on rockin’.
Wow, that is so weird to me. I don’t understand what could possibly be nefarious about a space for anyone and everyone to grow and improve in whatever way they want. I’m definitely not the typical gangplanker (Maybe mostly because I’m not male and techie) but I’ve always felt welcome and have enjoyed many things about the space.
That said, I’m all for discussing the elephant in the room as a general rule. So good for you for acknowledging it!
I appreciate and agree with your perspective, but it can be a more complex problem than holding grudges. How can someone burned once, or even twice, have any confidence they won’t be burned again? Especially if nothing has changed and those who did the damage are still influential and unapologetic. If you want to fix that problem, you’ll have to acknowledge the damage done and find ways to prevent it from happening again.