Understanding The Art Of Building Communities: What Really Matters In Fostering Unity Among Your Social Groups
In the previous mid-week was another insightful training where I was training the government leaders on “Building Communities”. This allowed the leaders-managers to better implement policies, steps and strategies to bring about unity to the citizens, the public as well as their own workplace departments.
Men, being social creatures, do not operate alone. So long as they have to interact, communities and network will be formed. The evolvement of groups towards something useful and purposeful will thus always remain a major exercise for the leadership at hand.
Being a Sociology major, I was extremely pleased that my education and knowledge can be put to good use. We explored the key concepts in how human beings interact and the dynamics where social groupings are formed. My other major, Economics, contributed strongly to our analysis of the coming trends in Singapore and its living standards. Topping it off with a Psychological spin, we are off to a more positive direction in shaping our societies and lifestyles.
To make building your communities more relevant and accomplishable, consider the following essentials:
1. Decipher the local culture and its underlying meanings.
2. Predict the future trends for this community of yours.
3. Analyze the changes needed and the steps that must be taken.
4. Make sure these changes move in continuum with the receptivity of the social groups and trends evolvement.
5. Gauge the unity and happiness levels of its citizens.
*** Related article: How You Can Build Better Communities? 8 Steps For Effective Policy Implementation To The Masses
(Source: wekie.com)
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December 4, 2008 at 5:15 am
“Men, being social creatures, do not operate alone. So long as they have to interact, communities and network will be formed. The evolvement of groups towards something useful and purposeful will thus always remain a major exercise for the leadership at hand. ”
Have you realise that men do operate alone on a physical one to one basis is a ongoing-trend in the cyber and real world. There are definitely still networks and groups forming however the real physical contacts such as meeting face to face, etc are getting lesser.
If you are refering to work, basically high percentage of people go to office is for the purpose of money and own dreams. Furthermore, people try to work on their own desks. Do you think the collegues and bosses will become true friends after resignation? People will just move on after leavng some form of contacts.
“Social groups = people come together with a same purpose.”
That is only the begining. At the end of the day, you will see cat-fights, disagreements, envy, etc. However on the bright side, if there is peace, basically people are just focusing on the common purpose only and ignore the human aspect of people.
Human are not perfect. Two is fine, three is a crowd.
Happiness is the one of the hardest thing to have it all time in life… for there will be saddness in the air. Things are not as easy as on paper.
December 6, 2008 at 5:15 am
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for describing the current state of affairs or trends in terms of some people working alone, physically, and others end up in cat-fights, disagreement, envy and the likes. While perhaps, according to you, it’s true that more people operate alone nowadays, then the key question lies in “What else can be done to create or develop more positive communities?”
Hence this is exactly why communities have to be more tactfully built to promote its positive values and move it to a purposeful direction. People do come together for a common purpose indeed. And that common purpose can also be just for getting together. For example, not all gathering of friends must have money making in mind, some just need company, someone to talk to, or a simple catch-up. It’s all very subjective.
Man, be it at work or in personal life, may physically seem to be functioning alone but is always in fact, a part of the greater equation. Short of being marooned on an unmapped island, the way to look at it is the “degree of functioning alone” or the “degree of social integration”.
If you are born part of a family, you are already in a network. With parents, siblings, spouse, children, relatives, communities are formed for you.
Even if you are in a desk-bound job, you are also in a community. You have your bosses, your colleagues and your clients. There are also computer support systems, suppliers, the sanitary cleaners, food court operators, transport providers, commuters and others in our lives.
It’s true that communities do change and may not last. Hence, the purpose is not always about building a communities that last, but one that evolves to become more purposeful. Community here, also does not imply true friendship only; the common purpose here could be working together to make the business operation smooth. Hence, if a person needs to work alone to ensure the rest of the system flows well. He is already in a communitiy and he serves a greater purpose.
A lot of jobs do require people to interact and form communities either unconsciously or with intention. Receptionists, operators in a plant, sales people, marketers, teachers, lecturers, politicians, media people, secretaries, bloggers, facebookers, friendsters, youtubers, forummers, religious participants, all leaders and managers, and many other occupations involve interaction with people. The purposes vary again, and are therefore in different communities.
Furthermore, if you are attempting to excel in your career and in various aspects of your life, all the more, you have to be part of certain communities. You can’t do without your communities and network these days.
Being part of a community also does not mean you must physically interact with another person. It’s also the mental, emotion and spiritual connection that is emphasized on.
Community building is never the easiest thing. This involves the culture, beliefs, egos and emotion of the masses. It’s always an evolving process.
Thanks for your thoughts and for dropping by.
Have a great week ahead interacting with your community.
Warmest wishes,
Wekie