Community building. What does it look like practicality? Are the results worth the effort?
Imagine a work environment that is totally conducive to the growth and expansion of its people, and in turn, thrives as a business. A common vision and some structure provide a framework for which fluid, free-flowing creativity by the collective can flourish. I’ve seen this play out amazingly for an organization that started in Northern California called Greenermind Summit (GMS).
Classified as a 501c3, GMS is a 100% participant-driven community with a mission to support community growth, healing and transformation on multiple levels: personal, professional, cultural and ecological. This small but growing group of entrepreneurial, mission-based change-makers embodies the ideal work culture of the modern era – one rooted in deep trust, connection to a higher purpose and the spaciousness to flow dynamically in the spirit of community.
For one, GMS values an open and transparent duocracy. While governed by a core group of founding members, every person is enrolled in decision-making, intellectual exchange, work effort and most importantly, spontaneous play.
For the last 10 years, the principal activity is hosting an annual summit to learn, connect and play. About 100 people representing a healthy balance of new and repeat attendees meet in the scenic Mendocino Redwoods to foster community and “unconference” – a term used to describe participants choosing the topics and themes they wish to engage in. The planning committee uses open document sharing to collaborate and creates multiple feedback loops to continuously evolve. There’s no one in charge. We all come together to run the Greenermind Summit.
While GMS hones serious intellectual capacity, it prioritizes community and connection. Every person in attendance contributes not only to the cooking and tidying but also to the sharing of individual gifts and talents. Activating a new skill is encouraged. Imperfection is accepted. The space is like an incubator where seeds of knowledge are planted and half-baked ideas morph into new ventures. There is honest intention in holding a container of support without judgment so that everyone feels safe to step outside his or her comfort zone and/or just be. Maybe you jump in to lead an activity, maybe you express vulnerability in public or maybe you relax in solitaire. It doesn’t really matter as long as you trust in the container and create your own experience. For newcomers, the annual gathering (which is now bi-coastal in the USA) is the access point for ongoing dialogue, opportunity sharing, professional support and impact projects throughout the year.
The ultimate glue that binds and strengthens GMS over time is its higher purpose. GMS is not an organization that produces a product or service, but rather a collective and experimentation ground for people to grow and harness the human potential in the movement towards a more sustainable future. There are no limits to the creativity by which this community has reimagined our world. Non-traditional partnerships (ie, co-parenting), communication in art form and a “freedom within the framework” mentality are just a few examples.
Imagine the GMS culture in your workplace.
What skills could you cultivate if you were not constrained by hierarchy and job descriptions, but rather invited to move in any direction that served you? How would you feel? What could you accomplish if the communal spirit was always bolstering your individual efforts with unconditional support?
Trust is the secret sauce of productive and joyful COLLABORATION.
But it’s hard for trust to flourish when everyone is hiding, to some degree, behind a professional mask. We don’t just lose productivity; in subtle but real ways, our humanity feels cheated by the shallow relationships we have when we don’t engage with each other at levels that truly matter.
If we want workplaces of trust, if we hope for deep, rich, and meaningful relationships, we have to reveal more of who we are. Going bowling together can be a fun break from work, but such “team-building” activities are generally more of the same: they keep to the surface and don’t really foster trust or community at any deep level.
The structure of small, self-managing teams helps in providing flexibility when someone needs to change his or her working routine for something important, at short notice.
The practice creates a mood of possibility, gratitude, celebration, and trust in other people’s goodness and talents. It helps to shift the focus away from self-centered goals and toward reconnecting with the broader needs of the organization.
If you wish to discover how to connect with your team and develop meaningful relationships, I want to encourage to study embodied leadership and servant leadership best practices.
We currently have events available for those who want to take a mindful approach to a management philosophy and organizational practices. Visit our events page to learn more.
