Building a thriving community: The "Get Together" approach

In a previous article, we discussed the Community Canvas Model for building a thriving community and its three fundamental elements: Identity, Experience, and Structure.

In this article, we'll look at another approach that can be used for developing a community launch plan. This approach was described in detail in the book "Get Together: How to Build a Community With Your People" by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto.

In the book, the authors describe their experience in creating communities and several dozen different communities that they have created, helped to create, or analyzed.

As a result of their analysis, they have proposed a plan for launching any community, which can be divided into several stages. Let's take a closer look at these steps.

Stage 1: Spark the Flame

Create a Purpose: The first step in building a community is defining its purpose. Ask yourself who you are gathering and why. This purpose will serve as the guiding light for your community, attracting individuals who share the same values and goals.

Form a Core Group: Identify and reach out to potential supporters and active participants who will form the core of your community. These individuals will play a crucial role in setting the tone and direction of the group.

Engage in Joint Activities: Plan and execute activities that bring members together. These can range from online meetups to in-person events. Experiment with different ideas and repeat those that resonate well with the group.

Communication Space and Structure: Create a welcoming space for communication, ensuring that new members can easily join and feel comfortable. Depending on your needs, It can be all-in-one community platform like Circle, Mighty Networks, Heartbeat, etc, forum on Discourse, or chat in messenger like Telegram. Establish rules and distribute responsibilities to maintain order and encourage engagement.

Stage 2: Stoke the Fire

Shareable Community Story: Develop a narrative around your community's story that members can easily share. Any community is a story and how good the story is will determine how popular the community is and how eager people are to join. A story helps create a sense of belonging and makes it easier to attract new folks.

Encourage Storytelling: Allow members to share their personal stories and experiences within the community. This fosters a deeper connection among members and enriches the community's culture. Remember: the most interesting communities are those that include people with unique experiences who are willing to share those experiences. Other community members care about success stories that they want to repeat.

Visual Identity and Rituals: Establish a visual identity through color schemes, symbols, and a consistent style. Treat your community like a brand. Introduce rituals and a unique language that reinforce the community's identity and values. For example, for a running club a ritual might be jogging in the park, for fans of a music group a ritual might be going to concerts together, etc.

Retention and Activity Levels: Monitor the engagement levels of your members. Identify active participants and think of ways to boost their activity. Regularly conduct analytics to understand retention rates and the overall health of the community.

Stage 3: Pass the Torch

Focus on nurturing leadership qualities within the community. Identify members with potential or interest in taking on leadership roles and provide them with opportunities to grow. This is important because communities can last longer than you (as a founder or community manager) have been a member. You may get tired, your interests may change, but the community can continue if you have developed leaders who are able to take over.

Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to the following points:

Leader Competencies and Evaluation: Develop systems for assessing leadership competencies, assigning roles, and collecting feedback. This ensures that the community continues to thrive under capable leadership.

Growth Pathways: Create a growth map for members, outlining how they can develop and assume leadership positions. Implement a motivation system to encourage members to engage more deeply with the community.

Event Goals and Ritual Integration: Plan events with specific goals, such as celebrating the community's anniversary or reaching a membership milestone. Use these events to reinforce the community's unique style and rituals.

Documenting Achievements: Find effective ways to record and celebrate the community's achievements. Highlighting successes reinforces the value of active participation and encourages members to contribute towards future goals.

By following the "Get Together" model, you can build a community that is not only engaged and active but also self-sustaining. Through purposeful gathering, shared stories, and leadership development, your community can become a source of inspiration and growth for all its members.