My Friday Morning Nugget
Series 5.0
Building a sense of belonging and safety in your community/team:The Expanded
The last series touched 2 areas . The challenges we encounter as community builders and the how of building a sense of safety and belonging among community members. The last thought of the piece only mentioned the how. Well! here is the details and some icing on the cake, because it is yet another Friday and I would want to give/do a little bit extra!
As I mentioned last week, it is very important that you create a tight-knit community where everyone feel safe and valued, and you can make that happen when you build trust, are consistent, have and show empathy, are passionate, professional, transparent, and you respect the process..
Building trust is the foundation and is earned through consistency, being reliable, and keeping your word. When your team/community sees that you’re true to your words, and that you are always there for them;, that trust starts to grow. But it’s not just about trust, empathy is vital too. People need to believe that you care about them. That you put yourself in their shoes, you understand their struggles, and that you genuinely care. That’s how real connections are created and grow.
Now, let’s talk about passion. When you’re passionate about the issues at hand, it shines through you. You effortlessly work without feeling the pain of hitches if any, because you are always on fire. Your work began to penetrate and shines through you, putting you on a spotlight.. That spark that is contagious, and so bright enough to inspire others. So your team/community works with you on what ever course, once they can see the passion in you.
Experience and knowledge are power. You cannot act on what you don’t know, and you cannot give if you do not understand. The more you know about the issues affecting your community, the better equipped you are to tackle them head-on. So it is very important to be open to ideas, to have listening ears, to stay curious, and share that knowledge with the crew as well.
Now, let’s get professional. Treat everyone with respect and dignity. Nobody has time for rudeness or playing favourites. Be fair, be professional, and watch how that sets the tone for the whole community. Be very principled in all your dealings. No shady business! Keep things open, and when it comes to protocols and due process, respect them. It may be a pain sometimes, but following the rules ensures fairness and avoid any unnecessary drama.
These ingredients have helped our community/team building efforts, because we have achieved a remarkable feat within our community. We have successfully established strong foundation of trust and mutual respect among our members. Moreover, we have worked diligently to ignite a profound passion for our shared endeavours. This fervour has not only driven us to wholeheartedly engage in our pursuits but has also instilled a deep sense of ownership within each individual in our team. As a result, we have witnessed remarkable progress in the execution and implementation of our projects, consistently achieving tangible outcomes that we are always proud of and making others proud of us.
Above all, we have prioritised the establishment of sustainable partnerships. By forging alliances with like-minded organisations and individuals such as those that I mentioned earlier in My Friday Morning Nugget Series 3.0. We have solidified our commitment to the long-term prosperity and continuity of our collective efforts. These strategic collaborations serve as pillars of support, enabling us to navigate challenges and secure the lasting impact we aspire to achieve as community builders.
From some of us working at top of development think-thanks like the Worldbank, UN and other International bodies, some of us, like myself found ourselves in the Executive Positions both at National and sub-national levels .
But from wherever, we are still working as a community and community builders, rooting on our social enterprise efforts because development does not stop. And with the more responsibilities and exposures, we are having, our efforts becoming even more significant.
Next week Insha Allah, we shall be talking about our next projects. It may be the last of this series and probably shorter.. But today’s ending comes with a quote by Byron Pulsifer.
“Friday is a day to finish your goals for the week. It is a day to celebrate that which you set out to accomplish at the beginning of the week. So maintain good vibe, don’t frown.. let the monster only see you smile!”
Jamila writes from Bauchi
Well done for yet another powerful week.. Enjoy your weekend ❤️
