How are you feeling about COVID-19. Are you getting fatigued by all the news? I know I am. Perhaps it’s the convoluted messages peppered across media outlets by politicians and social media ‘influencers’ that causes this irritation. Or, maybe it’s that I’ve been ordered to stay at home for the foreseeable future. It’s been about six weeks already and I swear if I hear the word COVID-19 one more time my quarantined brain is going to melt.
Still, with huge respect to the thousands of people who have lost lives, I heartily empathise with anyone directly and indirectly affected. Its severity is not in question. It is critical that this pandemic, as a catalyst for change, is not understated. Times like these highlight the innate human need for a sense of community.
“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community” Anthony J. Dangelo
In the UK praise for NHS (National Health Service), key workers have gripped the nation. At specific times citizens within local communities are regularly standing on their doorsteps and applauding doctors, nurses and health workers. The seemingly endless hours in the face of danger is not stopping them caring for others in need. A welcome result of this organised celebration and acknowledgement is fantastic. Neighbours that normally wouldn’t interact are forging relationships that otherwise wouldn’t. This is an example of the power of community. Although surely it shouldn’t take a global pandemic to build community, should it?
Meanwhile, out of necessity online communities are forming. Team members are having to adapt to working from home. Disconnected physically from their regular colleagues in the office. A new breed of remote workers is starting to grasp an alternative kind of connection. Online communication platforms such as Slack and Zoom are enabling digital communities to form. Online community management is a role that I’m sure we’ll be seeing a spike in soon. These types of tech companies are seeing a huge increase in users; specifically Slack. Fortunately at Faiā we are well versed in its features and intricacies that help effectively navigate teams to their most productive. Most importantly, however, is in dedicating resources to build digital communities now for the long-term. Even post-pandemic we are likely to experience a shift to remote working. Companies and organisations will have to cut costs simply to survive the impending economic fall out of what feels like the world ‘pressing the pause button’.
The power of digital communities is critical. In the past it was a ‘nice to have’ element of company culture, to have a thriving online community. Now it’s a ‘must have’. Learning from the past five years with The Pack Productivity Accelerator and Accountability Community and through delivering community management consulting we are well placed to give much-needed guidance and solutions to companies in need of help. With respect to leveraging technology, the focus is always on building stronger communities. At Faiā we are massively passionate about community. It’s ingrained within our culture. We highly recommend you look into it now because the new world is imminent and strong organised digital communities will be a must have.
Ps. With all this talk of stronger communities that reminds me; please feel free to check out a recent edition of our popular newsletter:#68 Resilience, Wolves, & Communities
