Alex Hillman and Adam Teterus continued their conversation on how they dealt with Indy Hall’s rent increase they discussed in the previous episode.  They talked about how they used Town Hall meetings to gather the thoughts of the community. As they made actionable plans, the community became closer.

Gauging Community

The first thing Indy Hall had to do was weigh their options.  To gather thoughts and ideas from the community, they conducted a series of two Town Halls.  They knew not everyone would be able to come, especially on such a short timeline. However, they still wanted a diverse enough cross section of people to represent the cares, concerns, values, ideas, etc. of the whole community.  This diversity was evident in the varying ideas and opinions expressed.

The Town Halls were made so that members would be encouraged to talk amongst themselves about the situation.  Town halls were more for gettings questions and ideas expressed throughout the community so that everyone could have a voice.  Both town halls were really optimistic. The face to face interaction was important because it exposed members to others who were thinking the same as them.  It opened a space for curiosity surrounding concerns of different people.

It is good for a community in a crisis to have consolation with one another.  They can see that they are going through the process together.

Positive Response

The positive responses of the community around Indy Hall was a result of their practiced authenticity.  Even though it was a new situation, they acted the best they knew how to. Nothing was changed, sacrificed, or compromised for the sake of speed.  

When you find yourself in a situation you are not in control of, the best thing you can do is give yourself a little control.  Give yourself something small that you can actually get done. Keep the outside factor an outside factor. Do not let it effect every tiny aspect.