I Have This One Member...

Sentences that begin this way usually tell you more about the community manager than the member.

I have this one member that's always antagonizing everyone else. 

I have this one member that's hyperactive. S/he posts on every single comment/thread. 

I have this one member member that's always criticizing us. 

Why does this tell you a lot about the community manager?

1) They're focused on the negative. This happens a lot. A community manager becomes overly focused on the impossible task of making single members change their behaviour rather than keeping their happy members happy. 

2) They haven't resolved the problem yet. This is most surprising. A community manager complains about a problem they don't have a process for resolving. 

3) They don't know if this is a problem. If a member is a problem, there should be data to support it.

Are the antagonized members leaving in droves? Are you receiving regular complaints? Is the hyperactive member reducing the contributions of other members? Is their response the final one or are they stimulating further contributions from other members? What does your data say? Does the critical member have a point or a grudge? Are you resolving the issue or removing the member? Are they provoking more criticism from others?

The things that annoy you could be very different from the things that matter to the majority of members in your community.

Comments

[Perkins]

Just some food for thought here.

Your posts often contain useful information and insights--thanks for that--but you frame these helpful bits around insulting those who are "doing it wrong."

I understand that it's easiest to point out what's wrong and go from there. But it happens so regularly in your posts, and it's phrased often enough about judging the person who's doing it wrong, that it gets unpleasant to read.

I even watched a sample of one of your workshops, and one of the major rhetorical devices you used was "How many of you do X, Y, or Z? ...Looking at all your answers, I see most of you said Z. Well that's WRONG." I have to say, that's unnecessary to making your (often very good) points.

The constant use of this device reduces your impact and makes me and others I've spoken to question whether we would ever discuss our work with you if we met in person--even if we're not "doing it wrong." Certainly it causes us to question attending your Pillar Summit.