Using Technology to Build a Community

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The Importance Of Building a Community

While being a part of a community is a vital part of our overall well-being during this pandemic, the distance created by quarantines and remote working has started to affect our connectedness to its decline.

To fight this, our natural instinct as social animals is to find strength in numbers. Because somehow, studies suggest that our happiness and health are closely linked to our connection with others.

In this lesson, we will cover some of the benefits that your organization can get by building a community whether your people are working remotely or under the same working environments during this pandemic. Ready? Hit continue to begin.

Sense of Belonging By being a part of a thriving community, a member feels a sense of camaraderie and connection with the other members. Having a place and role for each member helps them realize that they can bring all of themselves to their work and their team. People feel valued and all work has dignity within a strong community. Communities also take care of their members and vice versa—because they are invested in the collective success of the group. A study conducted by Ohio State University last 2020 actually suggests that people feel more supported when their networks are more tightly knit. In other words, the people within a community will more likely feel supported if their own connections also know each other! Build a community by: Keeping in touch with people, even if it has to be done virtually, invest energy and time in maintaining your bonds with the other members of your organization.

Effective Ways to Build a Community Online

Covid-19 has changed the way businesses operate and with in-person interactions reduced to the bare minimum, many organizations are having a hard time figuring out the best way to connect their team members.

In this lesson, we'll cover some helpful tips that leaders can keep in mind when faced with the challenge of building a community online. Are you ready? Hit the button below to begin.

Be proactive. Keep in mind that a time of crisis is not a time of passive growth. Step out as the face of your community and be as physically present as possible. You can try: Sharing pictures and articles that people within your community might be interested in Host live video webinars for your team Answer or post questions directly in forums or internal communication channels directly You may not have the time to do those things mentioned before but you'll see that they pay in dividends right now. Give people tips, resources, and other helpful information they can use to make the most of a tough situation. As people search for a sense of community amidst the pandemic, they'll respond to your efforts to be a part of their day.

Be present.

Be there for the community that you are trying to build. Be there to be your member's shoulder to lean on, laugh with, share their thoughts with.

There are times where people don't really need their problems fixed, they just need someone to listen and commiserate -- and the community that you're trying to build can do the same thing.

Look for solutions when you can find them but don't be afraid to say, "I don't have the answer, but I'm here for you."

According to studies, the most often cited catalysts for growth in an online community were offering of comfort and concern in times of crisis.

Along with that, give people the freedom to start a conversation when, how, and about what they want, just make sure that the conversation adheres to your organization's mission.

This practice helps people to find it easier to participate more frequently since they find the conversation more easily.

Ultimately, it helps cultivate a community where members are comfortable in sharing both business and personal challenges brought on by the pandemic where the members and the entire community rally around with each other, and navigate through difficult waters together.

What are the two Ps that leaders should be when building an online community? Select all that applies

Tips for Great Remote Team-Building Activities

Because of the distance created by the pandemic, many people who work from home miss the camaraderie in the workplace.

In order to adapt, organizations must come up with team-building tactics for members who work from home to strengthen their workplace relationships.

By facilitating these kinds of activities, you can keep teams bonded as they work remotely and improve important areas such as: • Creativity and innovation • Employee engagement • Decision-making

Remember to have some fun.

Recreating Wine Wednesdays Get your team to hop on a Zoom meeting, grab their prefered adult beverage, and play games to engage the creative side of their brains such as trivia quizzes or charades.

Have a Classic Storyline Building Sessions Another thing that your team can do in a web-video meeting where a person simply starts with an incomplete sentence and the person next to them must add another incomplete sentence, and so on.

Have an Online Food/Beverage Tasting Events Find food, wine, tea, coffee, or anything that your team members can enjoy and ship it to their homes ahead of time. Once everyone receives their item, hop on a Zoom meeting and enjoy eating or drinking with your team!

Help your team members meet their needs. Employees working from home have different challenges, experiences, and priorities. Help out and strengthen your bond with them by facilitating online meetings that can be beneficial to their priorities. Here are some examples: • Hire a yoga or Zumba instructor to conduct online sessions for your employees who are into fitness • Host parenting workshops for parents, creative writing for aspiring writers, and many others based on your team's interests • Coordinate with other leaders and host "Ask me anything" sessions for people concerned about the company's overall performance Technology has made it possible for companies to address employee needs and create a sense of connection among team members. By creatively and thoughtfully planning virtual events and tools, and holding events such as these make it possible to tend to the cultures that everyone worked so hard to build in the first place.

Cultivating a Remote Working Community

In any community, cohesion is important; it ensures that leaders and members have a strong connection with each other, allowing them to perform their roles in unison with the others.

But what do you do when your team does not work in a single office space, or in the instance of an emergency such as the Covid-19 pandemic?

Now more than ever, employees will look to leadership for cues on quality of work, professionalism, and workplace culture.

Whether permanent or not, addressing remote work can be easily broken down into four basic foundations: Communication, Culture, Professionalism, and Technology.

In this lesson, we'll explore those foundations to find out their importance in cultivating a remote working community. ‎ Ready? Hit continue to begin.

Create a Professional Working Environment

A vital part of working from home is getting in the “work” mindset. Employees may sometimes find it hard to stay focused and produce quality work from their bed or couch.

To mitigate distractions, try implementing a standard of professionalism from the get-go, and communicate it with anyone working from home. Consider establishing a clear approval process to keep a standard of quality in work.

It is also important to set clear boundaries between “work” and “home” when working from home. Encourage your team members to create a space that is just for work as this does not only help them stay more organized but also minimize distractions.

Take advantage of technology. Technology has changed the way we work, now it’s also improving the way we work from home. "Work from home" no longer means less communication and collaboration; instead, it means communication and collaboration through technology. Whether it’s through team chats or web meetings, technology can close the distance between home offices. In addition to technology-enabled communication, ensure everyone on your team has remote access to up-to-date files needed in their tasks. A number of companies offer digital asset management tools, for example, that can allow file sharing and real-time edits to documents with other people. Conduct research if there are any tech solutions applicable to your team's nature of work and will help you connect your team members.