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Last week on The Render Podcast, we discussed our first company’s core value, Work Hard, Live Well. As a team we are committed to being “present where are feet are” by focusing our attention where we presently are. At work that looks like producing big, needle-moving results and when we are at home we choose to be present with our families/friends. Today, we are diving deeper into our second core value –

COMMUNITY ORIENTED – We are intentional about inclusion and creating opportunities within both our company and our community. We strive to be an organization filled with people who are more different than alike. We believe that you can’t serve a diverse world if your organization isn’t a microcosm of that diversity.  

Creating community within your company or organization is not only important but essential. Think about it, you spend 40+ hours a week with your coworkers, that’s roughly 1920 hours if you work 48 weeks out of the year. That’s a whole lot of time to spend with someone you barely know. Not seeing the value yet, let’s look at it another way. Have you ever worked in an environment where you were just another employee? Maybe you enjoyed the work but spent all of your time at your desk because there was no one to connect with? I’d imagine it wasn’t a place you wanted to spend 1920 hours of your time. As soon as the clock hit 5 pm, you were out of there.

Now, what if you worked at a place that you were known? Your boss checked in on how you were doing, your coworker lended a helping hand, and your work was celebrated? Wouldn’t you want to work there? I know, I would. That’s what working on a team is like and that’s why creating a community within your team is so important. You work harder, your employees work harder, and your work is better. Why? Because your team takes ownership of their tasks because they know they are cared for.

So, now that we’ve broken down the importance of creating a community, how do you practice it? There are a variety of ways to keep your company community oriented. Here’s a brief list –

In your company –

• Celebrate wins within your team! Every team meeting, we go around the table and each person will share a win in their position.
• Check in on how your coworkers or employees are doing. Ask about their weekend, see how their family is doing, or simply ask what they are working on. 
• Plan team outings. There is no better way to create community within a team than getting them outside of the office and enjoying an activity. Need ideas? Here are 71 team building activities that don’t include trust falls.

 

With your clients/business relationships –

• Intentionally and thoughtfully check in with your clients. People are going to remember how you made them feel, not necessarily what you said. So, write a handwritten note or hop on a call just to see how they are doing. 
• Remember that your clients are people, treat them as individuals. “While your relationship with your client is of a professional nature, acknowledging that you see them as a person—that is, more than just a paycheck—can go a long way. The extent to which this personal connection is appropriate will vary depending on your industry, client type, and the individual client’s personality. If you know your client is a parent, you may simply ask how their children are doing. If you have a closer relationship with your client, something more personal such as emailing them a news article about their favorite musician might be appropriate and appreciated.” –  MBO Partners
• Create a space for people to connect. This can be done in a variety of ways but we’ve focused on two ways in our company – 
  1. We make it a point to host one to two in-person gatherings for our clients and business relationships. These are designed to show appreciation and gratitude for our community. 
  2. We’ve created local and national groups to allow likeminded people to connect. Want to join one of our groups?  Check out our Facebook groups – For Dallas Young Professionals. For Rental Companies around the Nation. 

We dive even deeper into community in our latest podcast episode, so give it a listen. We hope you will join us every Wednesday at 8am when episodes drop. Hit the subscribe button to make sure we can continue to bring you quality content for FREE!