People tend to thrive when they’re part of a strong community. Not only do they receive emotional, social, and sometimes even financial support from their community, but they feel good about contributing to their community as well.
This probably isn’t a surprise to you. Most of us love the idea of living in a stronger, more cohesive community. But how can you start and foster a strong community if you don’t currently have one? What actionable, realistic steps can you take?
How to Build a Stronger Community
These are some of the best steps to take if you want to build a stronger community around you:
1. Lead by example.
Treat relationship building in your community the way you’d treat any form of relationship building; be humble and accommodating while setting healthy boundaries, offer value before requesting value, and be thoughtful in all your interactions. If you lead by example, many people in your community will want to follow you. For example, if you spend time reaching out to all your neighbors consistently– offering them little gifts, doing small favors, and extending invitations to events– they’ll be much more likely to reciprocate and reach out to their own neighbors. In other words, as a community member, you should act the way you want other people to act.
2. Get to know your neighbors.
One of the best ways to start building a community is to get to know your neighbors better. Knock on doors and introduce yourself, and don’t hesitate to host people for dinner or throw miniature block parties. Ask lots of questions and work to understand these people; the better you understand them, the better you’ll be able to relate to them. Note that this works not just for physical neighbors who live next door to you, but also figurative neighbors who are close to you in other ways.
3. Organize meetup events.
Communities grow stronger when the people within them have ample opportunities to meet each other and talk to each other, so it’s important to organize regular meetup events. Depending on the context of your community, this could mean hosting a small get-together at your house, hosting a networking event at a local bar or restaurant, or just having a community potluck at a local park. There are practically limitless options here, so consider experimenting with many different types of meetup events.
4. Print a community newsletter.
Self-printing is inexpensive these days, so once your community hits critical mass, consider printing a community newsletter. You can distribute these to subscribers on a regular basis or simply have them available to take at your meetup events. In any case, this is a great chance to advertise future events in the community, write about matters that are important to the community, and even feature key community members so that more people can recognize and acknowledge them.
5. Give before receiving.
A critical principle for successful community building is to give before receiving. Many people want to be part of a community so they can receive the benefits of being in one, but it’s always better to give first. What value can you add to your community? How can you contribute? Even simple volunteer efforts, like picking up trash, can make a big difference and show people how committed you are to this community.
6. Designate a respected leader.
Groups of people tend to stick together more reliably when they have a universally respected leader in place. Accordingly, you should try to designate a respected leader who everyone in the community can look up to; this person can also be responsible for setting community standards, finalizing decisions, and organizing events. This person doesn’t have to be you; it just has to be someone who cares enough about the community to take on this responsibility.
7. Be consistent.
Consistency is vital for building strong relationships, and it will be an indispensable tool for you as you build your community. If you want to host a meetup event, try hosting it the same day every week. If you publish a newsletter, try publishing it at the same intervals. Once people develop a routine around your community, it will become much more stable.
8. Remain patient.
Though this point isn’t particularly actionable, it’s still important: remain patient. Building a community, and by extension, building a network of individual relationships, takes time. It could be weeks or months before you start to see the results of your efforts – so remain persistent in your pursuit!
One Community at a Time
Most men thrive when they fit into many communities. You have a family, a circle of friends, a collection of neighbors, as well as people who share your hobbies, people who share your religion, people who share your politics, and countless other groups. As you work to bring more people together, focus on one community at a time. Every step forward you take is a step that benefits not only you but everyone around you.
