Date April 8 & 9, 1999 Last Updated May 18, 1999

Key Community Topic Obstacles

Synopsis At times communities may experience difficulties or obstacles that hinder or prove to be adverse to the group or community. In addition to challenges faced by the group in its entirety are obstacles that present themselves to individual members. These obstacles can inhibit the participation of a person in a community.

Executive Summary Communities have to develop ways of dealing with challenges as they present themselves. Challenges can destroy or make stronger a community depending upon the willingness of the membership to see the situation through. Situations that inhibit communities include dominating members, lack of commitment, logistics, cliques, prejudice, and a whole realm of prohibitive situations. Individuals may have hurdles such as finding the appropriate amount of time and energy to dedicate to the group. Members within organizations may have personality clashes, differences in status, lack of communication, and dominant personalities that keep other members from sharing.

Companies often experience obstacles such as these in start up companies and when a change of management occurs. The community or work group can be affected by the same adversity that effects church groups, sports teams, parent organizations etc. Members of a community must pull together to encourage communication and minimize negative effects of overbearing or unorganized individuals.

At A Glance i Status i Hoarding Behaviors

i Lack of Communication i Time Constraints

i Caste System in Org. i Favoritism

i Distance i Dominating Individuals

i Too many experts i Lack of Support

i Lack of Self-Esteem i Lack of Direction