“We don’t really realize how powerful our communities are, until we step back.”
In a world that talks about being connected 24/7, the reports of loneliness are rising. In this article, I want to explore if there is a direct correlation between a world that is connected, borderless, and always on vs. loneliness and how the power of community, and its evolution, is helping to grow budding communities, overcoming some of those challenges – in the world of HR, the world of business, and outside of our work lives.
I started by researching loneliness in the workplace. I found in Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report, a staggering 20% of those younger than age 35 reported feeling lonely in the workplace. There are also other contributing factors to consider beyond age, such as whether people are remote, entirely in the office, or hybrid.
Regardless, let that number sit with you for a minute. It’s beyond sad. How has our modern technology (mobile phones, games, and streaming platforms contributed to this?) Have we just lost the ability of real human connection and community?
There are health risks associated with loneliness that I didn’t fully appreciate until I wrote this article and did my research with my trust research buddy, ChatGPT. Betty Bot (aka my ChatGPT) found that “The U.S. Surgeon General in 2023 warned that chronic loneliness poses health risks on par with smoking or obesity.
Now I want to weave in the world of HR and how workplace isolation is being replaced by communities – thanks to organizations and movements such as Transform, DisruptHR, and Fractional People People (and our very own Business Club).
What have each of these created to really embrace the very essence of ‘power’ in community?
First and foremost, each community has a clear purpose. A mission, if you will, to make the world of work a better place. None is ‘led’ by one individual. Still, a collection of individuals, based all over the US – and beyond, who all recognize and live by the values each day – AND facilitate in-person experiences in small and larger groups.
“The power of community is nothing new – it dates back centuries.”
Deepening relationships in a way that can’t be done through online alone. Staying connected day to day via community calls, working sessions, and learning sessions is keeping people connected. The richness comes in the in-person sessions that are part of the communities we are all part of.
Over the last three years, particularly, I have seen a lot more smaller communities spring up locally. These are where people are coming together who are all in similar fields, at similar stages. In my world, these are HR consultants and early-stage founders who are craving those ‘water cooler’ moments and are willing to travel (within reason) to have those moments.
Why is that? Is it because we are seeing wave after wave of companies pivoting, downsizing, and changing how they operate? Is it because more companies are reducing headcount and re-engaging their HR folks in different ways? Such as fractional HR and HR consultancies. On that note, don’t get me wrong, we still very much need in-house HR; the relationship with how the departments are structured is changing.
And with that, the brief hallway chats between peers, the 5-10-minute “Can I run something by you for a second?” moments that were previously held employee to employee are now happening founder to founder within these communities.
It is not only the camaraderie and connection with others that communities are bringing about. These communities are members’ clubs (literally) in their own rights and have the power to build out whole networks of experts, able to compete and deliver work to larger organizations that might not look at solopreneur businesses but understand the power of a collection of experts, all operating under one business for a project or a retained piece of work.
That is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power within these networks.
The second aspect I am seeing evolve is individuals investing in two to three networks they are part of to get different things from each. Bet that the community, learning, or job opportunities—or all three.
It is also about those shared experiences, and I am often blown away by witnessing how supportive people are in these networks, and usually when they haven’t physically met the person they are supporting.
Shared experiences used to look like family and friends getting together around a television screen to watch a regular show that we all enjoyed, or to come together to watch a special occasion. I remember watching Princess Dianna and King Charles’ wedding. One of my parents’ friends invited us all around for a party and to gather around the television to watch this spectacular moment and events leading up to their fairytale wedding. I often look back at that, and over 20 people crowded around to watch. It seems so outdated now (somehow).
Today, multiple communities, from their individual locations, gather around their own screens (PCs usually!) to participate in sessions and connect to communicate – THEY are ALL the event. We are no longer watching on these screens; we are the ones creating, embodying, and living in these communities – the screen is merely how we facilitate that interaction.
Yes, there’s a generational aspect to all of this. And I’m going to be controversial for a minute. As a 51-year-old, I’m from a digitally savvy generation, and not one (Gen Z) who is digitally native. I did experience MySpace and other networks just like it early on. I don’t think the gap is as large as the media states it is between the generations. Why? Because we are ALL human. Most of us, to one degree or another, crave that human connection, to learn and experience different aspects of life with one another.
“Individuals are investing in two to three networks
they are part of to get different things from each.”
The power of community is nothing new – it dates back centuries, from protection, food, and a way of life to where we are today.
A place to help us learn, to engage, to replace a part of our world that’s left behind. I, for one, am grateful for that. I no longer have to travel two hours a day to be in a work-related community where I might make a few friends along the way – and a whole swathe of others will simply become forgotten colleagues.
The new world – one where communities can be connected over multiple borders – with a common goal and one that still brings people together, is undeniably strong.
And I’ll leave you with this final thought of how these communities all come together – and the chain reaction of it all.
Five years ago, I had a small LinkedIn account, I dabbled, and as I grew my business, I grew my LinkedIn – a fundamental part of the community today. Through that, I have become a bestselling author, have multiple online shows, and have had the privilege of traveling all over the place. To build my own community in the Business Club, to benefit from great communities such as Fractional People People – and to experience the great work of the Transform communities both online and in person. You see, we don’t really realize how powerful our communities are until we step back and think about why we are writing – or reading this article.
About The Author
Sam Eaton is the founder of MindAbility, helping HR consultants and fractional HRs replace—and exceed—their corporate incomes. With a track record of building six, seven, and eight-figure HR businesses globally, she champions the belief that real change in the world of work depends on bold, values-led HR business owners. Sam is the best-selling author of The Trouble With Pink Wheelbarrows and host of MindAbility Matters, where she spotlights the powerful outcomes HR consultants create for their clients. Her mission is simple: to help HR consultancy owners build successful businesses—on their own terms.
Other articles from Sam:
Strategic Networking That Works: How to Plan, Connect, and Follow Up Like a Pro
Check out more thought leadership articles on the Transform blog!