# Common Ground Collective — Member Handbook > **The Extra Degree** — Welcome to the Common Ground Collective, a chapter of the Two Twelve Referral Network. > This handbook is **generated** from `team.config.ts` and the parent-org policy. Don't hand-edit — submit a PR to `docs/HANDBOOK.template.md` or update `team.config.ts`. --- ## 1. The Premise At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils — and steam can power a train. That one extra degree changes everything. The Two Twelve Referral Network (founded by Carter Helms) is built on that idea: structured weekly referral networking where trust, follow-through, and the extra degree of effort transform pipelines. If you know BNI, the rhythm will feel familiar. What's different here: - **Gratitude Incentives (GI)** — explicit points for referral activity, surfaced weekly. - **Faster follow-up** — speed is the standard. - **Tighter accountability** — attendance, BizChats, and referrals are tracked, not assumed. - **Permission-based referrals only** — you BizChat first, then refer. No cold drops. - **Category exclusivity** — one trusted pro per business category per team. --- ## 2. Meet the Common Ground | Field | Value | |---|---| | Locality | | | Stage | launching | | Launched | 2026-05-19 | | Meets | Tuesdays at 8:30 AM ET | | Venue | Meeting Location TBD — | | Site | https://common-ground.twotwelvenc.org | | Contact | hello@common-ground.twotwelvenc.org | ### Leadership (Governing Committee + TMS) - **Chair** — Founding Chair - **Vice Chair** — Founding Vice Chair - **Team Administrator** — Team Administrator Candidate - **Team Marketing Specialist** — TMS Candidate - **Area Mentor / Regional Director** — Area Mentor TBD --- ## 3. How a Meeting Runs We meet weekly, ~90 minutes, same day same time. The agenda is the same network-wide so you'll feel at home if you visit any other 212 chapter. ### 1. Open Networking (~15 min) Informal mingling, drinks. Members greet guests, make introductions. Lobby kiosk shows /meet QR for guest check-in. ### 2. Welcome & Call to Order (~5 min) Chair (or Vice Chair in their absence) opens the meeting and gives brief announcements. ### 3. Mentor Moment (~5 min) Short inspirational or educational segment. Rotates among members weekly. Topics: networking tips, business wisdom, relationship building. ### 4. Member Introductions (~18 min) Each member gives a 30-second elevator pitch focused on what referral they're looking for this week. ### 5. Featured Presentation (Spotlight) (~12 min) One member gives a deeper dive into their business. Helps the group learn how to refer for them. Rotates on a schedule. Different person from this week's Mentor Moment. ### 6. Referral Round (~18 min) Members announce referrals being given. "I have a referral for [Member Name] — [brief description]." Tracked in the team Sheet for GI scoring. ### 7. Guest Introductions (~8 min) Each guest introduces themselves. Members note potential fits for future referrals. ### 8. BizChat Scheduling (~5 min) Members pair up for 1-on-1 meetings outside the group to deepen relationships. ### 9. Closing & Next Steps (~4 min) Recap action items. Confirm next week's Featured Presenter and Mentor Moment. Adjourn. --- ## 4. Roles **Chair** *(team)* — signs the **Governing Committee Agreement** Runs meetings, sets agenda, owns team performance, identifies committee + TMS during launch. **Vice Chair** *(team)* — signs the **Governing Committee Agreement** Backs up Chair, runs meeting in Chair's absence, drives BizChat scheduling. **Team Administrator** *(team)* — signs the **Governing Committee Agreement** Owns the team database (Google Sheet), tracks attendance, applications, GIs, weekly stats. **Team Marketing Specialist** *(team)* — signs the **TMS Agreement** Owns marketing assets, brand application, launch promotion, parent-org coordination. **Member** *(team)* — signs the **Team Application** Attends weekly, gives/gets referrals, completes BizChats, holds one category-exclusive seat. **Visitor** *(team)* Attends meeting on member invite, no commitments. Registers via team site. **Area Mentor** *(network)* Network-level mentor for a subset of teams. Can run Interest BizChats and coach launches. **Regional Director** *(network)* Network-level mentor for a region of teams. Recruits Chair candidates, runs Interest BizChats, mentors new launches. --- ## 5. Joining the Common Ground 1. **Visit first.** Register at https://common-ground.twotwelvenc.org and come to a meeting as a guest. First visit is free. 2. **Check in** at the lobby kiosk via QR code when you arrive. 3. **Get introduced** during the Guest Introductions segment. 4. **BizChat with members** before applying — this is how you and the team find out if a category fit exists. 5. **Apply.** Submit your team application. Your category must not already be held by an existing seat. 6. **Committee vote.** The Governing Committee reviews and votes on new members. 7. **Sign your Team Application** and you're in. > ⚠️ **Category exclusivity:** Only one member per business category per team. If your exact category is taken, the existing seat-holder wins and you'll be invited to a different team or to refine your positioning. ### Categories currently represented in the Common Ground - CPA - Business Attorney - Residential Realtor - Insurance - Payroll --- ## 5b. How Your Application Is Reviewed Every chapter follows the same applicant workflow so applicants get a consistent experience network-wide. ### What we collect on intake - **Applicant Name** *(required)* - **Professional Classification** *(required)* - **Business Name** *(required)* - **Business Address** *(required)* - **Phone** *(required)* - **Email** *(required)* - **Induction Date** ### The four phases **Phase 1 — Application Intake & Review** *(owner: Team Administrator)* Confirm complete intake info, file the application, send the receipt confirmation, and schedule the Governing Committee interview. **Phase 2 — Applicant Evaluation** *(owner: Governing Committee)* Hold the interview, debrief, and reach a Governing Committee decision. **Phase 33a — Conditional Approval** *(owner: Governing Committee)* Notify the applicant of conditional approval and submit to corporate for background check + final approval. *Shown by default; hidden if the Governing Committee chooses "declined".* **Phase 33b — Applicant Decline** *(owner: Governing Committee)* Document the decline reason and route notification through senior leadership only. *Shown only when the Governing Committee decision is "declined".* > ⚠️ Do NOT communicate this decision directly to the applicant. Senior leadership handles all applicant decline notifications. > 📝 Cannot complete without populating: `declineReason`. **Phase 4 — Onboard Applicant** *(owner: Governing Committee + Team Administrator + Chair)* Final approval, dues collection, packet receipt, induction at the next meeting. *Shown only when the Governing Committee decision is "conditionally-approved".* > The Conditional Approval path (Phase 3a) is the default after the interview. The Decline path (Phase 3b) opens only if the Governing Committee votes to decline — and even then, the applicant is **never notified directly by the Governing Committee**. Senior leadership handles all decline communication. --- ## 6. What's Tracked, and Why We track everything so we can reward effort objectively. Numbers live in the team's Google Sheet, owned by the Team Administrator. | Metric | What it measures | |---|---| | **GI (Gratitude Incentive)** | Points earned for referral activity. Core unit. | | **Steam Score** | Composite of referrals + attendance + BizChats. Normalized 0-212. | | **Attendance %** | Weekly presence per member, rolling 12 weeks. | | **Referrals Given** | Count of qualified referrals passed to other members. | | **Referrals Received** | Count of referrals received from the network. | | **BizChats Completed** | 1-on-1 meetings held outside regular meetings. | | **Guests Brought** | Visitors brought by this member. | ### Point values (GI per event) > **GI point values are set by your Governing Committee.** The parent-org default is pending — see your Chair for current values. ### Recognition tiers > Recognition tiers are pending parent-org confirmation. Your Chair will share current targets. --- ## 7. BizChats A **BizChat** is a 30-45 minute one-on-one between two members, outside the weekly meeting. Two reasons we make a big deal of it: 1. **You can't refer well for someone you don't know.** BizChats are how you actually learn each member's business — what makes a *great* lead vs. a *meh* lead. 2. **Permission-based referrals require trust.** No one in this group sends a referral to someone they haven't BizChatted with. That's the standard. Schedule them during the BizChat Scheduling segment of the meeting, log them in the Sheet, and they count toward your Steam Score. --- ## 8. Attendance, Conduct, Removal > Specific thresholds (attendance %, removal triggers, dues amounts) are set by your Governing Committee and the parent org. Your Chair has the current numbers and the signed Team Application you completed at admission spells out the binding terms. The defaults pending parent-org confirmation: - Attendance is tracked weekly. - Substitutes (a qualified peer attending in your place) may be permitted occasionally — confirm with your Chair. - Members who stop participating (no referrals, no BizChats, no attendance) are subject to Governing Committee review. - Removal requires a Governing Committee vote with the right of appeal to the Regional Director. --- ## 9. Brand Voice (for when you're representing the Common Ground) - **Confident but welcoming** — "Join the Common Ground" not "Please consider joining." - **Action-oriented** — "CHECK IN" not "Submit your registration." - **Heat metaphors are encouraged** — Steam Score, Boiling Point, Bring the Heat. - **Professional baseline** — this is business networking, not a party. - **Animations respect reduced-motion preferences.** If you build something for the team site, follow the same rule. Our accent is `#3bb9d0`. The dark warm background, Bebas Neue display, and Plus Jakarta Sans body type are network-locked — do not override. --- ## 10. Where to Look for What | Question | Where | |---|---| | Who's chairing this week / what's on the agenda? | Team Sheet → Meetings tab | | What's my Steam Score? | Team Sheet → Members tab | | What categories are open? | Team Sheet → Categories tab, or ask the Team Administrator | | How do I bring a guest? | Send them to https://common-ground.twotwelvenc.org to register | | What does X mean (BizChat, GI, etc.)? | This handbook | | What does the *parent org* say about X? | `docs/PARENT-ORG-POLICY.md` | | Why is this rule the way it is? | Same — every rule cites a policy section | --- ## 11. Network Connection We're one chapter of the Two Twelve Referral Network. The dashboard at https://team.twotwelvenc.org is where new chapters are launched and where leadership across teams stays in sync. Visiting another 212 chapter (e.g. on travel)? You're a guest there, not a member — but the agenda will look identical and you should feel at home. --- *Generated from `team.config.ts` + `lib/parent-org.ts` + `docs/PARENT-ORG-POLICY.md`. Last updated: 2026-04-27.*