Respond within twenty-four hours; it is the unwritten rule.

technique — attributed to Xavier Mufraggi

Among YPO's unwritten rules, one is operational: if a member asks you something, you respond within twenty-four hours. Violations are grounds for being kicked out. The rule converts community membership into a reciprocity contract. You can reach out to any of thirty-three thousand chief executives in the network, and the norm says you will hear back. The standard generalizes. Any community whose value depends on members being able to access each other quickly needs an enforceable responsiveness norm, or the network's promised access becomes theoretical. The twenty-four hours is the standard. The enforcement is what makes it real.

For community leaders building peer networks whose value proposition includes access. The norm has to be communicated to new members at induction and reinforced consistently.

responsiveness, community-norms, ypo, etiquette