Can we intentionally build community?
Google community and you will find article after article, study after study, meme after meme on the topic – about 4.4 billion hits. There are countless thoughts, scholarly publications, and opinions on it. It elicits frequent conversation and copious amounts of research. The want and need for it is a part of what makes us human. It brings peace and safety in our lives, grants us a sense of belonging, and lets us know we’ve been heard, we’ve been seen, and we’ve been known. We are a bit obsessed with community, in the absolute best ways possible.
But can we build community (specifically in business)?
Yes, we can.
We can by creating community-builders, inspiring community in others, and helping to refine the next generation of movers and shakers. To build community, we have to be authentic. We have to care for and love others and we can do this by giving energy, connecting others, developing others, actively listening, being thoughtful, and sharing stories.
This has become an integral part of A Cup of Common Wealth. A pillar of a tiny downtown coffee shop with stained walls, uneven floors, and mismatched furniture – a coffee shop a community built.
Be an Enthusiastic Energizer
How can we energize others to build community?
We can greet! When we see people we should greet them with a smile and enthusiasm. It lets them know that we see them and they are welcomed; it gives them a valuable boost of positive energy. If we greet somebody enthusiastically (like a dog greeting its owner when they arrive home) we’ll immediately see the difference in their demeanor. They feel noticed, appreciated, and loved. These greetings can be when someone comes to our homes, to our place of work, when they pass us in the grocery store, or even walking down the street.
We can give sincere goodbyes! If we are committed to ensuring that every time someone left us to go about their day, they felt a little better off than before they ran into us, what kind of difference could we make in other people’s lives? As individuals leave us, we should give them more energy to take on the rest of their day. Say goodbye with joy and love, letting them know we honored their time, and wish them well for their next to-do.
Think about the businesses that you walk into that always seem to say hello, remember your name, and always shout out ‘See ya later’ as you’re exiting. They give you a piece of energy to carry you through the rest of your day.
At A Cup of Common Wealth
We see our café’s main room as our living room. Our bright blue door on Eastern Ave. is like the side door to a house that everyone uses instead of the front door (which would be our glass door facing Main St. in this analogy). And, like anyone would do in their own homes, we greet someone when they enter our house and say goodbye when they leave.
We play host to them, ensure they have something to drink (or something to eat). After they’ve been hanging out a bit, we’ll check in to see if they need anything else or drop off a glass of water whenever we have a moment to add to their experience in our home. We act as friendly, hospitable hosts to every guest and we offer them energy. From our family to their families. Mi casa es su casa.
Enthusiastically energize.
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Photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash
