Sense of Community – in the Workplace
ince the onset of COVID-19, reading has been a spare time activity among the CG community. One book in particular, recommended by our amazing CEO Jacob Bates, really resonated: “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell.
In his introduction, Gladwell discusses a study that was done on a little town called Roseto, Pennsylvania. In the 1950s and late 1900s, the nation was struggling to grapple with heart disease, a growing national epidemic. A Physician named Stewart Wolf decided to investigate why this little town in Roseto, Pa was able to outlive the rest of the nation despite widespread outcomes for people over 65.
Wolf explored many factors from diet and exercise to genetics and region of origin. What he found was astonishing: it wasn’t that these immigrants were eating better than the rest of the nation. In fact, in this removed little town, residents did not have access to the healthier options they’d had in their home country of Italy and were forced to make do with the less healthy options being consumed across the country. To his surprise, Wolf found that it was their sense of community that kept the people of Roseto thriving.
As the manager of CommonGrounds Houston, a leader in Workplace-as-a-Service, this story stood out in a profound way. We believe this is the underlying reason why “coworking spaces” and other community-focused spaces are so successful. A coworking space brings people together and helps create a sense of community that bolsters happiness. When people feel supported and part of a group, they thrive – it is human nature. Amidst trying times such as the current health crisis, it is critical for us to come together and to find new and creative ways to maintain a sense of community. As our CEO always says, “Remember that I can only be at my best when you are at your best and you can only be at your best if I am at my best.”
Our CommonGrounds locations across the country are constantly offering new ways for members of the local CG community to connect. Some of the favorites include:
• “Pitch Practices” – CG entertains with food and invites members to give a four-minute pitch on their organization or business ideas, for socialization and feedback-gathering. This is a great way for our members to get to know each other but benefit from the broad perspectives represented in our workplaces.
• “Beatz for Benefit” – Our Carlsbad headquarters location organized a music festival to benefit two charities relevant to neighboring Mexico: Katherine’s Kids and Ninos de Fe. Booze Brothers. Our CG family, members, and sponsors collaborated on every detail of this event, invited the entire community and raised $3,500 for the causes!
• “Be at Home with CG” Virtual Sessions – Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CG has invited employees and members alike to virtual lunch-n-learns on a range of personal interest topics. A member from our Houston location recently provided an hour-long crash course on personal finance, touching on everything from investing in the stock market to retirement income strategy and maximizing financial aid for college.
Though we are physically apart, we can still enjoy a sense of community and are proud to be a part of a company that prioritizes that – for our employees, members and neighborhoods. Let’s stay together (at a socially acceptable distance) and strive for greatness while we wait for our return to the “new normal” of the future.
