You must have heard the word community mentioned by schools, businesses or on the news. You might be wondering what it actually means. Well, there are different definitions of the word community. However, the one that strikes close to home is “unified body of individuals (body of persons) with common interests, especially professional, and scattered through a larger society.”
By this definition, your neighbourhood, gym or professional organisation is a community, as is your local retail area like Fleet shops. The communities people often gravitate towards consist of personalities and professional people of like minds who uplift, encourage, inspire and support each other. With regard to professional communities, the true sense of belonging comes when people make a conscious decision to join the right professional community for them.
Why Should You Take Time to Find the Right Professional Community for You?
1. Provides a Good Support Network
Your environment has a huge bearing on your individuality. Jim Rohn clearly stated that people’s actions are determined by an average of 5 people they spend their days with. With a strong support network, you can influence your thinking and get in a better mindset to achieve your goals. Such communities are a good place to share useful knowledge and foster innovation and collective creativity.
According to Zeldin, a conversation refers to a meeting of the minds having different habits and memories. When such minds meet, they exchange and transform facts. They also reshape facts, draw different implications and engage in new trains of thought. Besides reshuffling the cards already in existence, conversations also creates new cards.
Communities with like-minded individuals are a safe space to share knowledge and build upon experience. Most people feel a deeper sense of satisfaction and more commitment or passions towards an idea when they can connect with people coming from similar backgrounds. With the current technology in the market, people can flow freely, improve innovation, creativity and collaboration.
2. Communities Offer Valuable Networking Opportunities
Some people feel uncomfortable when they think about networking. They imagine having forced small talk with strangers. However, networking doesn’t necessarily happen at an awkward mixer. Networking refers to the act of connecting people.
According to Bill Nye, every new person you meet might know something you don’t know. Networking in your professional community is a great way to build relationships, improve your current career and stay updated on the industry trends.
3. Opportunity to Create Authentic Mentoring Relationships
Having the right mentor is a chance to open new doors, focus on your goals and realise your potential besides the challenges in your path. When mentoring someone, you can re-energise your career, improve your skills and increase your experience.
Most of the influential people renowned all over the world today can trace their success back to a strong mentoring relationship. Therefore, you need to work on your professional network if you want to improve your current situation. Find any relevant networking options to engage with other like-minds in your field and learn something new that will push you to the next phase of your career.
