[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/little2.jpg” custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”|auto|-54px|auto||” custom_padding=”467px|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.1″ text_font=”PT Sans||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”72″ text_line_height=”1.1em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”785px” custom_margin=”-98px||0px|||” custom_padding=”||168px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”52″ text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet”]<\/p>\n
The Power of Community<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ min_height=”3368px” custom_margin=”-5px|||||” custom_padding=”134px|0px|9px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”-43px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”20px||0px|” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/david-ivers.png” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”3.23″ custom_margin=”-45px|||||” animation=”off” sticky=”on”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#02b875″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.2em” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||0px|”]DAVID IVERS<\/span><\/a> There is no power equal to a community discovering what it cares about.<\/em><\/p>\n Margaret Wheatley (2009).<\/em><\/p>\n Turning to One Another (eBook).<\/u><\/a> San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. p.26.<\/p>\n Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, much has been written about life locked down, to take shelter from the virus. Much has also been written about how to work from home and much has been written about activities that individuals might be able to do in isolation, to occupy themselves, and fill the time that is at hand. Recently some writers on organizations and leadership have been discussing in Twitter forums, the importance of community to successful organizations. One notable author in this space is Tom Peters.<\/p>\n An organization is a \u201ccommunity.\u201d If you look at things that way, you will make a lot of good \u201cpeople decisions.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>Tom Peters Twitter 19 April 2020.<\/p>\n If Tom Peters is right and if Margaret Wheatley is right, then it is critical that the organization discover what it truly cares about. If you read the excellent book by Tom Peters, \u2018The Excellence Dividend\u2019, the organization may well find that it needs to discover a real passion for people, especially the people that keep the business an ongoing concern – the staff and the customers. On any reasonable analysis of community, it would be easy to see that there are three things that are critical to an organization being an empowered community. The three R\u2019s of community are: Relationships, Relationships, and Relationships.<\/p>\n Anthropology teaches that human beings are wired to be social. How we interact with each other and indeed, who we interact with and when we interact with people are critical to the creation of healthy, empowering relationships.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt is no revelation to any field-experienced anthropologist that everything is related to everything else, or that whether the entire sociocultural setting can be studied in detail or not, it has to be known in general outline.\u201d<\/p>\n Margaret Mead (1973) “Changing Styles of Anthropological Work<\/a>\u201d p.8.\u00a0<\/p>\n One way of thinking about this is to conceive the organization as being akin to a village. If you like, \u2018the village at work\u2019. In the village, there is a clear and definite structure that has responsibility for the \u2018government and governance\u2019 of the village. In many villages, the Chief is elected at some point in time, though in other circumstances it is inherited, similar to royalty. The role of the Chief and the elders is to ensure the safety and well-being of the members of the village. In the village, there are rules and norms, expectations and understandings of accepted behavior. There is some form of economy, even if in bartering form, and kinship is usually extended. The notion that it takes \u2018a village to raise a child\u2019 is more often than not true in a real village. In an organization, this extrapolates to how junior members of an organization are nurtured and cared for, so that they too may take their rightful place through their contributions to village life. The village often has organized social activities that strengthen the membership of the village, not unlike a local sports club. In short, the village is both a physical entity and a cultural one. It is very important that people have a sense of belonging. The reason is very simple. Belonging often begets a positive self-concept and often leads to a sense of ownership and \u2018buy-in\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Emily Gibson and Robert Barr (2013) in their excellent book, \u2018Creating a Culture of Hope (eBook)<\/a>\u2019\u00a0 Maslow identified the importance of belonging.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMaslow conceptualized the basic needs of human beings in five ascending levels: (1) physiological needs, (2) the need for safety, (3) the need for love and belonging, (4) the need for esteem, and (5) the need for self-actualization.\u201d<\/p>\n Gibson, Emily., Barr, Robert. (2013) \u2018Creating a Culture of Hope (eBook)<\/a>\u2019 p.39.<\/p>\n Obviously, one way to feel as though you belong is to feel accepted by the larger group. This means giving and receiving feedback. The feedback empowers the individual to improve themselves and in turn, the collective. In this regard, a coach or mentor can also help a person feel as though they belong. The physical environment can impact the psychosocial environment and in turn the sense of belonging. All of this can impact the culture of the village, the leadership, and in turn the quality of relationships within the village.\u00a0<\/p>\n Translated into the workplace, it is incumbent on the leadership team of the organization to actively build a positive culture, mindful that a toxic culture can be very harmful to the staff. The leadership needs to be authentic, have high levels of trust, and engender hope. To do this, they must be able to create healthy relationships with clear lines and opportunities for communication. Micromanaging people is the antithesis of this. There needs to be the sense that leaders have the well-being of their employees in mind. The process of course is reciprocal. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f7f7f4″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” min_height=”594px” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”680px”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/shutterstock_145688378.jpg” title_text=”shutterstock_145688378″ show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ custom_padding=”||0px|||” animation=”off”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#efefe9″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shutterstock_795944875-scaled.jpg” title_text=”shutterstock_795944875″ show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ animation=”off”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|” _builder_version=”4.5.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#818178″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”1.2%|10%||10%||” custom_margin_tablet=”|10%||10%” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px|||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone”]<\/p>\n How we interact with each other and indeed, who we interact with and when we interact with people are critical to the creation of healthy, empowering relationships.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#888888″ text_font_size=”12″ text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20%|” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|||” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet”]DAVID IVERS Emily Gibson and Robert Barr suggest the following for creating a sense of belonging, especially in a school environment. That said, their list could easily be generalized to most other organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Specific ways that schools can help students find a sense of place include the following:\u00a0<\/p>\n When the atmosphere of the school addresses students\u2019 needs, learning increases, emotional health is supported, and attendance improves.<\/em><\/p>\n Gibson, Emily., Barr, Robert. (2013) \u2018Creating a Culture of Hope (eBook<\/a>)\u2019 p.69.<\/p>\n It is essential of course that in creating a culture of belonging, we create a vibrant, healthy community. A community that is life-giving and allows for the personal and professional growth of each individual starts to become transformative. In the context of COVID-19, we must by now have come to realize that we are not independent but interdependent. As we journey through the pandemic, we may start to uncover a basic truth. We truly are \u2018all in this together!\u2019<\/p>\n On creating purposeful and transforming communities, Peter Block (2018) in his excellent ebook, \u201cCommunity: The Structure of Belonging<\/a>\u201d asserts that community is created via a series of powerful, transformative conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing the invitation, there are five other conversations for structuring belonging: possibility, ownership, dissent, commitment, and gifts. Since all the conversations lead to each other, sequence is not that critical. The context of the gathering will often determine which questions to deal with and at what depth. It\u2019s important to understand, though, that some conversations are more difficult than others, especially in communities where citizens are just beginning to engage with one another.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Peter Block. (2018). Community: The Structure of Belonging (ebook)<\/a> (Ch 12).\u00a0<\/p>\n The significance of this observation should not be missed. Fundamentally, belonging to most forms of community is invitational, meaning that you are called to accept or reject the invitation. Where the invitation has been accepted, the possibility of commitment to the community becomes a possibility. This creates a sense of commitment which in turn creates a sense of ownership, a sharing of gifts, and a willingness to accept and \/ or offer a different opinion to the rest. At the heart of these conversations is a healthy trust and respect for each other. In the context of a workplace, the employment contract that you accept is the invitation to this community of colleagues. It is strengthened or weakened by the extent to which you and everyone else, engage in these critical conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n What is of interest here is why this sense of community at work is so important. According to Professor Dominic Little from California State University Northridge in his Sociology 101 notes, the Sociologist and Social Psychologist, George Herbet Mead, and the Sociologist, Charles Cooley, offer important insights.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCooley\u2019s conceptualization of the \u201clooking glass self\u201d shows how a person\u2019s sense of self is inextricably linked to that person\u2019s sense of others; an individual imagines how other people see him or her, interprets their reactions to his or her behaviors and develops a self-concept based on those interpretations. Mead\u2019s insights into \u201ctaking the role of the other\u201d\u2014as well as how children learn through stages of imitation, play, and games\u2014illustrate the process by which people learn to become cooperative members of the human community and internalize the \u201crules\u201d of the game of life. Furthermore, his formulation of the self as subject (the \u201cI\u201d) and object (the \u201cme\u201d) shows how socialization is an active process and how the human mind, as well as the self, is a social product.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Dominic Little. (Spring 2011). Sociology 101 Course Notes – Chapter 3 Socialization<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the workplace, the village at work is therefore an important place for the socialization of each person in the organization. Anticipating the role of the other gives us insight into what our role and purpose are and importantly the contribution we are called to make. Importantly, we are called to make a contribution and engage in conversations and interactions that are in effect the constant intersection of personalities as well as minds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr. Margaret Wheatley in a Keynote Address to the Kansas Health Foundation\u00a0 2000\u00a0 Leadership\u00a0 Institute (Spring\u00a0 2000) made this astute observation as to why these notions of self and others, the notion of quality relationships, is at the heart of successful organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt is no longer enough to simply say that relationships are important.\u00a0 A good part of effective work,\u00a0 Dr.\u00a0 Wheatley said,\u00a0 is knowing exactly who is in each box on such a\u00a0 chart.\u00a0 As former American\u00a0 Red\u00a0 Cross\u00a0 President\u00a0 Elizabeth\u00a0 Dole\u00a0 put\u00a0 it,\u00a0 “When\u00a0 the\u00a0 river\u00a0 is\u00a0 rising\u00a0 and\u00a0 it’s\u00a0 2:00 a.m.,\u00a0 that’s\u00a0 not\u00a0 the\u00a0 time\u00a0 to\u00a0 start\u00a0 a\u00a0 relationship.”\u00a0 The relationship has to be there first.\u00a0 “If\u00a0 you don’t\u00a0 have\u00a0 the\u00a0 web\u00a0 or\u00a0 fabric\u00a0 of\u00a0 good,\u00a0 trusting\u00a0 relationships,”\u00a0 Dr.\u00a0 Wheatley\u00a0 said,\u00a0 “You\u00a0 can’t suddenly\u00a0 pick\u00a0 up\u00a0 the\u00a0 phone\u00a0 and\u00a0 say,\u00a0 ‘I\u00a0 need\u00a0 you.'” “Relationships\u00a0 are\u00a0 not\u00a0 only\u00a0 primary but\u00a0 are\u00a0 the\u00a0 only\u00a0 way\u00a0 we\u00a0 can\u00a0 operate\u00a0 now,”\u00a0 she\u00a0 concluded.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”PT Serif||on||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|”]David Ivers is from Sydney, Australia. He is a qualified Primary and Secondary School Teacher. In total, he has served on school leadership teams for 16 years in senior leadership roles.
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.5em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”720px” custom_margin=”-104px||0px|||” custom_padding=”14px|||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet”]<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” min_height=”2200px” custom_margin=”-48px||0px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”40px||0px|” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”84px|||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet”]<\/p>\n\n