Spontaneous Outbreaks of (Virtual) Workplace Community: External Threats and Social Connections

Many voices have mourned the loss of community in contemporary society. But what does it mean to be part of a community, and how do you turn a group of people into a community? For organizations, this is a key question: namely how do you create (virtual) workplace communities. By unlocking the power of community, workplaces can become about more than work.

There are significant differences between collections of people and communities. Many of us live in neighborhoods or localities in which we are in close proximity to others, but would not consider that we live in what feels like a community. You can even live surrounded by many people but still feel isolated because you do not feel any connection. Those essential elements of community are not there. For instance, there are no mutual bonds or shared identity to bring you together. Also, in a multicultural society, it can be difficult to have a shared set of beliefs, history, and practices as well given our unique backgrounds. Taken together, it can be hard to create that sense of community, especially in the absence of common goals and obligations.

Part of community development and organizing, whether online or in person, involves creating a process through which stakeholders are brought together to achieve some agreed upon outcome, connected to a shared social purpose, with the goal of a positive social change. The organizer’s job is to help create the connections between these groups, aligning and mobilizing everyone toward a common goal and under a common purpose.

Communities, even online communities, are powerful entities. As Peter Block notes, “Community offers the promise of belonging and calls for us to acknowledge our interdependence. To belong is to act as an investor, owner, and creator of this place.” Therein lies a key point in terms of getting buy-in: there needs to be a creative process through which all voices can participate. Everyone has a role to play in terms of mobilizing their collective strengths and assets, and the organizer’s job is to facilitate that work.

Sometimes moments can do the job of an organizer in terms of creating mobilization. You can think of the movie Independence Day, where an enemy invaded the world, causing a decrease in social distance and discord by all of us being in it together. External enemies work like that. What we thought divided us evaporates, to be replaced by stronger bonds. Thus, external foes can do the work that two years of committee meetings would not be able to do. In place of difference and distance, we now have a mutual bonds and a shared identity, along with a common goal and hopefully shared obligations toward that goal.

In this moment of COVID-19, we have seen people working together without prompting, in person as well as virtually. This is what I refer to as “spontaneous outbreaks of community.” People just start working together for a greater sense of purpose and mission, perhaps without even really knowing one another. We are all in this together, with the operative word being “We.” The practices of working together then toward a shared goal becomes a unifying force, where the moment is sustained through this collaboration.

One question that comes up is how do you capture that sense of community for after when the threat has passed? Do we go back to the way things were in terms of the fault lines of the past? Or can you preserve the community that emerged?

Community doesn’t have to end there. Here are some steps that can help your organization to keep its workplace community intact:

1. Celebrate Successes
   A key point is to celebrate what we have accomplished through our community efforts. No matter how small, those successes are part of what we achieved together, and reinforce the benefits of our work. Celebrations can be planned events or small conversations. Each can go a long way to sharing how we are stronger coming together.

2. Capture Moments of Community:
   Along with celebrating comes capturing. People may not even be aware that they are making community in that moment. Take a moment to point out to them that their community is taking shape. Capture it in words and pictures. Ask people to themselves to capture it, creating a hashtag movement where people can take pictures and post them to an internal location or private group.

3. Create a Strategy for Going Forward:
   Community organizers try to create plans for going forward after the initial project is complete. Gather voices from every part of the (virtual) workplace community to get their feelings on how to continue to keep the community together. Even set up a community organizing committee that represents different parts and levels of the organization.

If you are having a harder time creating a (virtual) workplace communities, here are some steps you can take to help organize a community:

1. Create Collisions:
   Collisions involve creating opportunities for people who may not otherwise talk to each other to do so. The hope is that by creating these collisions, barriers will be broken and people will find the opportunity to collaborate. There are many ways to create collisions. Set up cross-functional work areas, schedule non-tech time that forces people to walk to communicate with each other, locate shared resources (like printers) near social spaces. All can help build familiarity and social bonds.

2. Magnify Commonalities:
   When all we perceive are differences, it can be impossible to see what unites us. The organizer’s role is to get people to see what they have in common. Some organization use employee resource groups (ERGs) to identify commonalities. Have employees teach each other about their own hobbies and interests so they can share in those moments. Any sense of sameness, whether related to the workplace or not, can be leveraged to overcome difference and create connection at work.

3. Inclusive Language and Pronouns:
   A simple, but very meaningful, device is to use inclusive language and pronouns. Research has indicated that people can work more closely together when they have a shared mascot (ever wonder why sports teams have names beyond their locations?). “Us” and “Them” are powerful terms. For instance avoid location labels and opt for inclusive descriptors. While greater attention is being given to the types of pronouns preferred by individuals, also give attention to the pronouns and language that creates increased unity.

4. Learn from Others:
   When people ask about creating community and trust online, I point to empathic communities. These are groups like patients of particular conditions who come together for mutual support around their shared situation. These online communities show that when we see ourselves in the same situation, we can achieve stronger trust and mutual support. Think about how these virtual communities, and even open source communities, are able to leverage their social bonds to accomplish their goals.

While community organizing can be a challenge, it is a challenge worth doing. A strong workplace community can help create a purpose-driven culture in your company. You can find out more about how to organize virtual workplace communities from ethno-analytics!