Keeping it active is important
As a community leader, you must keep some energy active, whether online, in person, at a coworking space, or running a meetup.
The best way to do this is through easy participation and contributions from the members.
If you are doing EVERYTHING, I would not call it a community; I’d call it a following or a service.
And after a while, you’ll burn out.
Most of the communities I’ve run have had less than 150 people and are highly connected.
I’ve been involved in larger communities such as Ouishare and London Bloggers Meet Up, where thousands of people participated, with hundreds showing up for events.
But I adore small, highly connected groups of people on a journey together.
The ideal number for me is less than 150 people—you can still be seen but can also hide! By ‘hiding ‘, I mean that in a smaller community, you can observe and learn from others without feeling overwhelmed or lost in the crowd.
By ‘hiding ‘, I mean that in a smaller community, you can observe and learn from others without feeling overwhelmed or lost in the crowd – and I get overwhelmed by too many people.
Daily Habit 1: Daily check-ins
Every day, look for a way to check in with people.
When I was a member of Mainyard Studios in Hackney, my fellow member Eleanor Haproff would make coffee in the kitchen and ask people what they were working on that day.
At first, her tiny, innocent questions terrified me because I often had no idea what I was working on that day.
But after a while, I would have an answer because without thinking about I’d thought about it.
Often, we’d discuss each other’s work and find ways to help each other.
The point here is that this informal interaction led to unexpected ways of helping each other.
This simple check-in practice will strengthen your member’s connections and understanding to create momentum and belonging.
Daily Habit 2: Actively engage in discussions
Bring people into the conversation.
Bring people into the conversation.
As I mentioned above, the sense of belonging is deeply rooted in the feeling of being seen and heard.
Every chance you get, you bring people into the conversation.
If you are about to share something and know someone on the call or at the table can tell the same story, ask them to say it.
Ann Hawkins does this every Thursday morning in the online Drive Subtle Networking meetup , and we are more deeply connected because of this regular tiny action.
Sometimes, people will be shy, but they do it anyway — not to put them on the spot or test them, but to give them a voice.
The sooner people find their voice in the community, the more the magic will happen.
Daily Habit 3: Ask for Prompt feedback
Asking great questions and often will reveal a lot.
Chris Marr looks at questions like this:
1. Why are they telling me this?
2. What are they finding so tricky?
Chris refers to coaching clients here, but I’d certainly be listening for this in a community.
Why direct feedback?
Send me a survey, and I’ll never fill it in, even if I go in a draw to win an iPad, but ask me there and then what I think, and I’ll share away!
A quick poll is even better than a survey; it takes the temperature — you can do this in Slack, WhatsApp or LinkedIn.
Listen deep and well, and you’ll learn about the community you lead.
Daily Habit 4: Encouraging people to help each other
“Ask the F@%k*ng community” — is what the post-it note on Adam’s desk says.
You can quickly burn out as a community manager in a coworking space.
You do everything for everyone, which is a terrible place to be if you are a people-pleaser like me.
Luckily, I met Adam Teterus, the Community Director at Indy Hall, early on in my coworking life.
Adam has a post-it note on his desk reminding him to encourage people to help each other instead of relying on him.
So Adam guards his time, and people have a reason to talk to each other, which builds connection and trust.
These little interactions are the excuse for people to start a conversation and help each other.
Daily Habit 5: Recognising daily contributions
It’s not about earning a gold star or topping the leaderboard.
(When communities start to feel like school or employee of the month, I’ll be out of there ASAP.)
I’m talking about shining a light on the everyday acts of kindness and support within your community. This could be as simple as offering advice to a struggling member, sharing resources, or even listening when someone needs to vent.
Drawing attention to people helping each other in your community lights the path for everyone else.
It’s more than just being a good community member.
We must recognise that, at times, we all need more than just an example.
Some people (like me) need a lot of ‘permission’ to get involved, and that’s okay.
I’m in so many groups where I’ve watched what other people do for weeks, and then when I’m sure how it works, I’ll join in.
It’s all about communication and being seen.
Help members see each other and build trust. When people feel noticed and listened to, they’re more likely to share their ideas and support one another.
These friendly conversations also help to prevent loneliness and create a sense of belonging.
So, make these simple interactions a regular part of your community, and you’ll see everyone grow and succeed together!
When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you:
Book your 25-minute free-minute no-pitch call here.
Join The Next Coworking Community Builders Cohort
The Coworking Values Podcast is twice a week.
