Inclusive decision-making
A good open source project functions well by having the community largely aligned. I say largely because it’s nearly impossible to get everyone to agree on anything, both in life and in open source projects, but good projects have a degree of alignment in purpose and focus. Even minor disagreements create fractures and bring out many negative emotions when a project isn’t aligned. When the project is aligned, it has the resiliency to get past minor disagreements and drive forward.
You often hear a term in open source community management called “herding cats.” If you have a cat, you know that cats are often independent and difficult-to-control animals, and in the same way, trying to pull together large groups of people from different and diverse backgrounds can be equally challenging. So, how can we be successful at “herding cats”? Let’s consider some key things, starting with good communication.
