When I log onto LinkedIn, I see a slew of “Community Manager” job postings. It’s taken awhile, but businesses have finally realized the value of community. The problem? Building community isn’t easy.
Maybe you’re trying to build platforms to encourage discussion and facilitate learnings. Perhaps you’re wanting to bring together like-minded individuals and introduce professionals with complementary viewpoints. Or you’re needing support yourself and craving the encouragement of those with common interests.
How should you begin?
Revisiting your why can help you focus on the work and your audience — not your own insecurities, anxieties, or ego. No community is built overnight; it takes time to establish trust and reputation within any group of people. And most likely, you will have to step outside of some comfort zones.
Whether you’re growing an online community or building a network within your neighborhood, you’ll be faced with tactical choices. How do you communicate? What are the rules of engagement? Are finances needed? How much energy and time is required from participants? When cultivating community (or looking for communities to join) consider these prompts:
Think of the communities you are part of. How do you show up? What do you gain? What do you offer? Who are you meeting?
Think of the communities you grow. What do they expect from you? Why are they there? What are they hoping to learn? Who would they like to meet?
Let me know how this exercise works for you. I’d recommend a solid fifteen minutes of free-writing. Don’t edit yourself, just go!
The life you want to create, the type of person you want to become, the parts of yourself you’re most excited to cultivate will attract people who will help you get there.
Your relationships are catalysts — the foundations you need to squeeze wisdom from experience and failure. Authentic connection is expansive: the right relationship at the right time are wings to freedom.
Even at your very worst, you were someone’s pride and joy. Remember this when you forget the best parts of your being. Because somewhere in that fog of confusion and longing, we can help each other find laughter and gratitude. Your highest highs and lowest lows are different than mine; the value lies in sharing and discovering what these experiences were like for each of us.
Our mutual appreciation for life — the ups and downs, the hard lessons and the easy ones — might not happen at the same time. Your up might be my down; but no matter, when we do find ourselves together, we can share which lessons that made us better.
The point is to build tribes so that we can elevate and push each other to succeed.
When we collaborate, our ideas become richer. Like a prism, the perspectives we uniquely offer brings treasure. It’s our gift — and our duty — to find it.
The digital world requires a bit more finesse than in-person events. Many of us grew up in front of screens —- televisions, cinemas halls, Ninentedos, and Game Boys. These same screens paved the way for productivity tools, redefining our lives and the ways in which we schedule, communicate, and do business. Now, laptops and cellphones are within easy reach from sunup ‘til sundown.
However, “the way we do things” is once again evolving, and we have the choice to embrace or reject these changes. So whether you’re trying to organize a meeting, host a conference, teach a class, or build a relationship, there are four elements to consider when connecting from afar:
Participation
Online activities work best when people engage. Think of the lecture hall in which a student hides in the back row. Now recall a class in which the teacher prompted students with questions and lively discussion. Which scenario fosters learning?
Though direct participation may not be required by a host or organizer, you are guaranteed to get more out of the experience by taking responsibility for yourself: Turn on your camera, type in the chat box, follow up with an email, do your own research on the topic at hand.
If you’re participating, look for ways to get active.
If you’re organizing, look for ways to engage others.
Nothing will work unless you do.
Maya Angelou
Entertainment
If you’re responsible for planning an online seminar or teaching a virtual class, remember: We want to be entertained if we’re watching something. And if we’re watching something, we want to feel. That feeling might be surprise or intrigue, curiosity or delight, disgust or repulsion, but we must feel something to be interested.
A traditional lecture won’t cut it.
Incorporate images, videos, sounds, and unexpected elements to spark engagement and hold interest. Themes and pop culture references can surprise and delight attendees; end your meeting with a song or insert a relevant story into your presentation.
Collaboration
The greatest gift of online activities: The ability to network and share.
Exchange opinions, ask for resources, find ways to trade thoughts, and start online conversations with others. While you can stick to more traditional chat forums and send emails, you can also get creative: Write a turn-by-turn story with a friend, watch a movie separately before sharing opinions, create a music playlist together.
Collaboration can become a tremendous pool of inspiration and insight. With a bit of creativity, options are endless.
Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful.
Hazrat Inavat Khan
Expectations
As an organizer, intentionally decide upon the set outcomes of your online happenings. Then make a plan. Choose whether recurring events or one-off structures will best suit your goals. Schedule the meeting in advance, or jolt an eager audience with unannounced events.
Next, consider how you’ll present to participants. The way in which you communicate establishes rapport and sets clear boundaries, establishing a framework for what will take place. Audio-only arrangements create different spaces than those with video elements. Participatory tasks with light structure can be the right amount of encouragement participants need to stay interested.
Thoughtfulness guides the most worthwhile experiences and helps provide foundations for creativity to blossom.
If you’re searching for change, one of the easiest things you can do RIGHTNOW is to evaluate the conversations you are having. Chances are they can use some editing.
What are you talking about?
What topics keep repeating?
Who is involved?
Monitor your conversations, both online and off, then prioritize the kind of world you want to live in:
Creation, not lack Goals, not complaint Care, not brokenness Change, not stuckness
The best conversations will be rooted in the question Who do I want to become? These conversations can help you reach goals and dive into deeper levels of living.
First you must find people with similar goals. These are the people you want to spend time with: People who are equally invested in exploration, growth, process, and evolution. Don’t tolerate negativity. Those people who can’t seem to stop talking about others? Refuse to participate. Change topics. Don’t entertain abusive, destructive, or derogatory remarks.
If you can’t find positive people, make adjustments. Be intentional. Use online resources and set boundaries. Time limits can also be helpful.
Think of your conversations as currency. Meetings, phone calls, chats, emails, even text messages. Be strategic about the way in which you invest.
