Giving a Sense of Community Back to Our Communities

December 2021

If anything has taken a hit these past two years, it’s that good old-fashioned sense of community. You know what I mean. It’s where people gather together and feel a sense of belonging, connectedness, and trust because they share a common purpose and mutually supportive relationships. If I could wave my magic wand to give you a special gift this holiday season, it would be just that.  

I won’t waste time here discussing how lockdowns and looters have taken their toll on our sense of community. Instead, I’ll focus on what you and I can do to rebuild all those special bonds and support structures that have long been the essence of hometown America—where our personal investments in the well-being of others creates a spiritual sense of well-being within ourselves.

I admit, I am especially blessed to live in Florida. Aside from a couple of months at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Floridians’ lives have remained pretty much unscathed. Anyone who has chosen to, has had the luxury of sharing friendly smiles and tête-à-têtes in local cafes or on the verandas of sunny seaside resorts, virtually unhindered. My heart goes out to the masses who have not had such freedom.

I essentially never stopped hosting monthly meetings of the civic and philanthropic organizations that I chair—except for a brief break in the spring of 2020 when the entire world stayed home to flatten the curve. Here in Florida, we resumed in-person meetings by mid-summer last year. While not everyone chose to return immediately, most did. Thus, the bonds within these groups grew stronger than ever.

Yet, like most public speakers, for the past two years I’ve still had to adapt to conducting industry association keynotes and break-out sessions via video teleconference. Such technology serves a great purpose, although I’ve greatly missed the impromptu, one-on-one, get-to-know-you chats with the members of my audiences before and after my talks—because that’s where you develop personal relationships. It’s also where I can quickly provide helpful, personalized insights to those attendees most in need. I’m therefore delighted that in-person conferences are finally coming back in vogue, at least in some communities, because there is simply no substitute for the kind of personal connectedness that can create that real sense of belonging and fulfillment.

One in-person event where I spoke recently—EntreCon, hosted by the Studer Community Institute in Pensacola, FL—went above and beyond in terms building a stronger sense of community for all involved. The event not only fostered new friendships between attendees, but it created what I call an Infinite-Win for the community at-large.

I was so impressed, in fact, that I sent a power thank you to the President of the Studer Community Institute to express my appreciation for their efforts [Learn more about how to give a power thank you in chapter 9 of my book, Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring]. Here is an excerpt from that letter:

Hello Rachael – I wanted to follow-up from the EntreCon event, which in my opinion was one of the best—if not THE best—business and leadership conferences I have ever attended. As a public speaker who has participated in dozens and dozens of conferences in major cities—from LA and San Francisco, to Chicago, New York, Boston and beyond—this conference wins the prize in terms of professionalism, organization, staffing, A/V technology support, topic relevance, and community development. It was a true honor to be part of it.

I was especially blown away by all the automation tools that were made available to the attendees to optimize the overall experience—from the downloadable app to help you get where you were going (i.e., to and from all the fascinating venues across downtown), to the video streaming player that allowed the attendees to view ALL the sessions after the fact—I’ve never seen anything like it. Many kudos to you and your entire team (which I understand is relatively small, to boot!). WOW!

Although I have lived in Florida for going on nine years now, I had never really taken the opportunity to get to know Pensacola (beyond stopping for gas or dining at McGuire’s Irish Pub while travelling across the panhandle).  I must say, thanks to you and the efforts of the Studer Institute team, the experience with EntreCon caused both my husband and me to open our eyes and take notice of your absolutely charming town and it’s wonderful feeling of community. Your program and the community you have built is not only to be commended, but IMHO, it serves as a standard bearer in terms of community development.  You and the Studer Institute should feel very proud of your accomplishments….

Thank you so much for the opportunity (and for allowing my husband to attend, as well). We both loved it. Again, kudos to you and your entire team.

Deb        

I now challenge you. As 2021 draws to a close and you think about setting goals for 2022, what goals will you set for yourself—and for your entire team—to build a stronger sense of community within your organization and across your broader community?

As you consider how you might go about building stronger connections of belonging and mutual support, consider this quote from Garry Ridge, CEO and Chairman of the WD-40 Company:       

People feel like they belong here, not because they are welcome every day, but because we are doing things every day to help them be better. 

—from The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture  

And remember, the best gift you can give anyone is the gift of your time and thoughtful attention.  

 So, ask yourself how, starting today, you can improve the way you are there—really there—for others within your organization, your family, and in your community. How can you help them be better? Just think how wonderful 2022 could be if every one of us focused on giving that sense of community back to our communities.

 Heartfelt best wishes for a joyous New Year.