When is the last time you attended church? What about a local event in your suburb - a Sunday market, a sports club, Carols by Candlelight? After leaving school, many of us no longer 'belong' anywhere. Yet community is all around us. There are book clubs, hiking groups, gaming societies, classes and events at community or neighbourhood centres, professional associations, volunteer organisations and sports teams - to name just a few. More and more, we're relying on the workplace and online communities to help us find our sense of belonging. If you're feeling like you don't belong anywhere, making the effort to reach out and find your community can be a rewarding experience. In today's Saturday Catch-up we look at the importance of community.
Role models, mentors and community help us discover authenticity in others, and through their genuineness, integrity, self-reflection and candour we can embrace those abilities in ourselves. When you're part of a community, you can more easily find people whose work and outlook you admire. This is important because we all know that everyone of us is fallible. Read more in Impostor Syndrome? Try Finding your Community published 14 January 2024.
Workplace Community and Wellbeing: Fostering a Healthy and Productive Environment from 10 May 2024. With technology and social interconnectivity being what they are, the concept of wellbeing extends beyond physical health. It encompasses mental, emotional, and social aspects that significantly impact overall satisfaction and sense of belonging. Workplace community is a concept that can enhance employee wellbeing sitting alongside practical strategies for creating a positive work environment.
In Everybody's Advocate, Everybody's Voice: Stakeholder success is your success from 22 April 2024, we discuss how fostering a sense of community builds trust and collaboration, and that a supportive culture encourages the kind of behaviours that lead to growth. In an industry where the concept of success is not an individual pursuit, it's important to build support behind collective achievement. Organisations, businesses and communities thrive when every stakeholder is considered and empowered.
On 30 August 2024 we published Unveiling the Unspoken: Taboo Topics in the Workplace which looked at topics that aren't often brought into regular conversation, unspoken yet exerting influence over thinking and behaviour. We named some of the subjects that have the potential to shape interactions, decisions, and ultimately, work culture, but often go undiscussed. Feeling a sense of belonging to community enables us to replace the awkward silence with dialogue. Through honest discussions and a commitment to transparency, organisations can create remarkable, inclusive and impactful work environments.
And finally, in The Importance of Connecting During Change we discuss how connection and belonging is even more crucial during times of change. Fostering connections matters during change because change puts us under stress and tests our capacities in many directions at the same time. Connections with others allow us to release some of the pressure, gain perspective and feel a sense of belonging to carry us through any low points along the way. Published 17 May 2024.
Now you're connected in the Saturday Catch-Up: The Importance of Community
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Please enjoy your Saturday catch-up.
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