Let's Build
Looking over the first four posts, I'm inclined to end the preamble and say something substantive about how to build the sense of community in a group. To that end, let me describe the two major approaches to community building:
Modeling and Opportunity Creation
Modeling
It's no over-simplification to say that one way to build trust is to trust, just as a first step toward building shared values involves articulating one's own values with respect to or for the group and asking others in the group about their views. Incorporation of diversity or participation? Model regard for pluralism within the group context, and ask others to join in a project or in a decision affecting the group. There are many nuances related to modeling, and we'll get into them as we discuss the building of each of the 11 elements, but it's good to begin with an understanding of the general strategy.
Opportunity Creation
Strengthing the sense of community in a group involves motivating group members to build the 11 elements of community with one another. To keep things straight, I'm saying in essence that strengthening community involves leaders in a cycle of encouraging leadership. The opportunities they create are just the situations and the circumstances they judge will move group members to build trust, respect, shared vision, and so on with one another. What are examples of these sorts of situations or circumstances? Well, in a work setting, it might be requiring every department head to attend a weekly staff meeting (really!). In a neighborhood, it might amount to calling together two individuals and exciting them about a project they can work on together. In a congregation, it might be organizing a study group on some aspect of the faith. There are many possible opportunities that might be created from the resources within any particular setting, and we will consider quite a variety as we begin work on building specific community elements.
Modeling and Opportunity Creation
Modeling
It's no over-simplification to say that one way to build trust is to trust, just as a first step toward building shared values involves articulating one's own values with respect to or for the group and asking others in the group about their views. Incorporation of diversity or participation? Model regard for pluralism within the group context, and ask others to join in a project or in a decision affecting the group. There are many nuances related to modeling, and we'll get into them as we discuss the building of each of the 11 elements, but it's good to begin with an understanding of the general strategy.
Opportunity Creation
Strengthing the sense of community in a group involves motivating group members to build the 11 elements of community with one another. To keep things straight, I'm saying in essence that strengthening community involves leaders in a cycle of encouraging leadership. The opportunities they create are just the situations and the circumstances they judge will move group members to build trust, respect, shared vision, and so on with one another. What are examples of these sorts of situations or circumstances? Well, in a work setting, it might be requiring every department head to attend a weekly staff meeting (really!). In a neighborhood, it might amount to calling together two individuals and exciting them about a project they can work on together. In a congregation, it might be organizing a study group on some aspect of the faith. There are many possible opportunities that might be created from the resources within any particular setting, and we will consider quite a variety as we begin work on building specific community elements.
posted by Bob Rossi at 2:14 PM
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