How can you foster a sense of belonging and connection when your team doesn't work in the same office?

How can you create genuine opportunities to connect with colleagues without 'forced fun'?

How can you support your team to get to know and trust each other better over time?

There are no easy answers to these questions. But one way of approaching them is by thinking about your organisational structures as community.

In this episode, Alix sat down with Tatiana Figueredo, founder of Business of Community. Tatiana helps leaders understand how to bring their people together & structure systems of belonging within their organisations.

Read on for three takeaways from the episode, plus the link to listen in full at the end.

Community building in remote environments

1. The power of small group structures

One way of thinking about community within organisations is the ‘small groups’ that live within it. This might be a regional office that’s part of a global organisation, something interest-based like a non-fiction reading group, or a group based around a specific identity.

But the best small groups are defined around what Tatiana calls a ‘common growth journey’ — a clearly defined goal that resonates with everyone in the group. And growth doesn’t have to mean career trajectory. It can be about learning, creating more impact, getting better at your craft.

What small groups are there in your organisation? How do they help people to get to know each other better? Can you think of a ‘common growth journey’ that connects you and a co-worker?

2. Community works best when it’s bottom-up, not top-down

It’s easy for founders and team leaders to start with a genuine desire for more connection, but end up with top-down ‘forced fun’. Not great for a few reasons. 1. It can be harder for people in senior roles to spot opportunities for genuine connection, 2. Mandating isn’t okay and it sucks the fun out of things, 3. And even when it’s optional, be mindful that when ideas come from ‘the boss’, it can be hard for people to say ‘no’.

3. Nurture community builders and leaders at every level

Often the best way to foster better connection and belonging within an organisation is to find the people who are already doing the work to connect colleagues. If they’re already doing community building, chances are they enjoy it and are good at it. If you can find these people, then your job is to support them and to scale what’s already working.

If someone is bringing good ideas and energy, then you need to nurture them whatever their level, regardless of role or hierarchy. In fact, community building can be a great growth and leadership opportunity for more junior team members.
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I hope this is food for thought. Reconsidering your organisation as a community — or community of communities — can help you start building meaningful opportunities for your team to connect even if they never work together in person.

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Listen to the full episode here.