Knowing the community will help identify organisations and individuals who take an interest

and should play an active role in relation to a specific fundamental rights issue – the
“stakeholders”. It entails being inclusive, for example of people with disabilities or marginalised
groups in society so that everybody can be heard on decisions that affect them.
Community’ can be understood in different ways, as geographical areas, interest groups,
organisations or institutions.  Community work rests on a basic democratic ideal, anti-
oppressive practice, equality and solidarity with the affected individuals. It aims to generate
and communicate new insights with a view to effecting change.    As community work is an
ideological, theoretical and practical approach to social life and the risk of social exclusion, it is
ideologically sustained by a basic trust in people’s ability to improve their life chances. Society is
the outcome of collective action and is perpetuated and/or changed by action.

Knowing your community should be important goal

 Jim Maxwell

Imagine running down a dirt path, toward a stream, as fast as you can and suddenly being lifted
off the ground, legs still pumping, finding nothing but air. In a flash, your body is swiftly soaring
toward the heavens. 

A dream? No, actually it was an exercise called “the rapture,” or the flying squirrel, a team-
building exercise that is part of the Lead Bristol! curriculum.

Yes, it was me playing the role of the squirrel.

One of the best ways to get to know a community is through your local chamber of commerce.
Here in the Twin City, we are blessed to have one of the best in the country. Earlier this year the
Bristol Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the Lead Bristol! program, received a five-star rating
from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during its re-accreditation. That rating places our chamber
in the top 3 percent of all chambers in the country.

The Bristol chamber is hands-down at the top of list of chambers I’ve worked with over the
years. They are aggressively engaged in bringing new businesses to the community and helping
existing businesses stay abreast of important local, state and national issues. They also provide
training opportunities, like Lead Bristol!

We live in a unique community. Someone told me there are only a handful of cities in the
country that are divided by a state line. And as a new Bristolian, I want to learn more about the
place I call home. So I decided to take the crash course.

Based on experience, leadership programs sponsored by chambers provide excellent ways to

get to know the inner workings of a community. You learn about municipal, county and state
government (here, multiply each times two), economic development, health care, emergency
preparedness, education, media, diversity and community service.

Along with this come professional development opportunities, through team-building,

communication and organizational change, and other components. What better way for a
newcomer to really get acquainted with a community?

So, for the next nine months I will be participating in the 2011-12 Lead Bristol! class, a program
that provides skills essential to leadership development. The class incorporates transcendental
leadership skills as well as servant leadership and community issues.

Another benefit is the opportunity to gain new contacts through networking. Local area
colleges and universities partner with the chamber to provide professional personnel, facilities
and other aspects of the sessions. Through the support of area businesses as sponsors, this
program continues to be a model for other leadership programs throughout the country.

Of particular interest to me is the servant-leadership component. Servant-leaders achieve

results for their organizations by giving priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and
those they serve (the community). Servant-leaders often are seen as humble stewards of their
organization’s resources: human, financial and physical.
In conjunction with my participation, I plan to write about the experiences of myself and
classmates, sharing highlights of the course, my thoughts and observations, and, hopefully,
some information you might not already know about your community.

So far our class, numbering 33 members representing businesses, educational institutions, civic
organizations and public entities, has participated in an orientation meeting and a two-day
retreat. At the end of the two-day retreat we were placed into teams and assigned a nonprofit
organization to complete a project for. 

The retreat was held at Doe River Gorge, a wonderful facility outside Elizabethton. Along with
completing a number of communication, personality profile and what I like to call “get-to-
know-you” exercises, we participated in a day full of team building – including an obstacle
course and being pulled 60 feet up in the trees by classmates (like a flying squirrel).

It’s been almost a week since we completed the exercises and I’m still sore.

My team got a jump on our community project and met for the first time as a group this past
week. Our project involves helping to create a video for the Sullivan County Imagination
Library. 

Beginning next week, we will participate in our first official class, focusing on diversity and
community mapping. We also will launch further into our projects.

Knowing your community is extremely important. Learning where the needs exist provides a
path to make a difference. Contributing to improving the quality of life here is a major goal of
mine. I believe it is the responsibility of a community newspaper to help make people’s lives
better.

Jim Maxwell is the regional publisher for the Bristol Herald Courier and Southwest Virginia
newspapers. He can be reached at jmaxwell@bristolnews.com or (276) 645-2552.
Understanding Your Community Local History is a Good Starting Point Being successful as a
community leader in any civic activity requires knowing something about your community, its
history, its culture and its political structure. Every community is different, so learning about
your particular community is important. This learning can be achieved in many ways. Libraries
are good places to start as they may have special sections devoted to local history. Local history
organizations may use the library as a meeting place where you could learn firsthand what
others in your community may already know. The local newspaper is an important source of
current community activities and issues that also provides a way to identify local leaders with
issues of interest to you. Other sources are more informal such as long-time residents of the
community and professionals or business people who work in the community. Here is where
social networking becomes an important part of learning to lead as joining local organizations
and meeting people gives you a chance to learn how citizens view the community and its
goings-on.

In many rural communities, historical background is a cultural asset and often attracts visitors
as the centerpiece of a tourism development program. Local schools or other public buildings
may be named after historical figures people want to remember as good examples of civic
leadership. Knowing why those people are considered important in the community may provide
a good example to follow in encouraging new activity to improve the community. Local history
is also a way to learn about the cultural roots of the community. Many rural places were settled
by one or a few families who may have come from similar backgrounds as immigrants years
ago. The cultural heritage they brought with them may still be present in various ways in the
community today.
The heritage may be related to occupations that were important locally when the community
was established such as farming or mining. Communities with such backgrounds are usually
known to be inhabited by hardworking people who demand respect related to their
occupations. Elders may also expect young people to continue in these occupations and carry
on family traditions. The values early community members placed on education, social services,
civic engagement and public safety can often be determined by examining local historical
sources and observing what is going on today. community needs.

Community Culture Norms are Mirrored

How communities are governed is strongly linked to the culture of the community. Culture
means those ideas, values, relationships and behavioral norms passed from one generation to
the next. For example, a strong value placed on individualism and personal responsibility may
make organizing collective action more difficult. The idea that relationships and recognition
should be based on status rather than achievement is another value position that could affect
how people collaborate. So, if governance is related to collaboration and cooperation in the
community, a strong sense of individualism may be an obstacle to such participation. Elements
of culture that become embedded in persistent and generally accepted patterns of behavior are
referred to as norms. People are expected to conform to these norms which are considered the
“glue” holding people together in the community and produce a sense of “order” in community
undertakings. Another element of culture is related to the inclusive nature of social relations.
Contrary to the connotation of “community” gatherings as being a welcome environment for
peers amongst the community, many citizens perceive these public gatherings as being only for
“certain people.” As such gatherings are important social events where civic ideas are often
discussed, the perception of inclusiveness is important. These gatherings are also valuable
means for integrating new residents into community affairs and often provide settings in which
relations and interpersonal trust can be established.
The Way in Which a Community is Organized
Ideally, communities are organized to accomplish collectively agreed upon goals. Therein lies
potential problems. If only a small portion of the citizenry shares a particular vision, the present
social organization does not work very well to benefit the whole community. Competing views
of what is important often exist. But more often, different groups work on differing agendas
without much regard for others. For example, a group of business leaders may want to focus
resources on economic development while a group of concerned parents want to focus on
education. Knowing the various agendas of community groups can help create a better
understanding of how the community works and where future opportunities and challenges
may exist.
Another aspect of community organization is the concept of “social control,” especially where
the allocation of resources is in question. Often the largest organization(s) in the community
hold the greatest influence on resource allocation. Sometimes, organization size can be offset
by the status of the members in another organization. Understand the size and relative
influence of each local organization can thus be a valuable insight for leaders. The diversity of
local organizations in the community presents a potential resource as well as a potential source
of conflict. The diversity represented by numerous religious or cultural organizations can
provide innovative viewpoints to aid in generating problem-solving ideas. On the other hand,
these differences can also be the source of community conflict if community actions appear to
favor certain organizations’ interest over others’.
“Since in every community there is already an established way of getting particular things done,
we must use as far as possible the existing setup in order {to achieve the best results.”
A Systematic Viewpoint is Essential
Finally, understanding the community as a holistic social system is important for leaders in the
community. In every community, many “patterns” will define acceptable behavior. These
patterns may even be contradictory or conflicting in some fashion. Successful leaders realize
that actions benefiting the whole community in the long term are of greater importance than
those related to narrow self-interests. Likewise, success in community leadership requires
recognizing that the material welfare of their own institution, business or profession is closely
tied to the welfare of others and that progress made in one area at the expense of another is
not really a community benefit. Further, many observers have noted that a healthy community
is a “whole” community where problems are being solved with broad involvement and
dialogue, where citizens have a strong sense of loyalty to the community and each other, and
where people are confident that any disagreements can be settled without overt conflict.
Healthy communities listen to all points of view and work to find ways to take them into
account. Healthy communities know that leadership can emerge from different sources at
different times to meet community needs.

The Importance of Knowing Your Community- John Krol

As a real estate investor, you must have heard time and again that knowing the people around
you is the key to success. One might wonder why this is so? This article will put all your
questions to rest by proving to you the reasons why you must invest your time in getting to
know the people that make up the community for your property.

The community for your property will influence various decisions made by you over the years
you keep the property. When you are considering buying a particular property, you will need to
gather data on the demographics of the area. This will enable you to gauge the potential
customers you will target. For instance, if you are opening a restaurant, it would be vital to
know what kind of people you are going to expect to come. You will then design your
restaurant accordingly. Similarly, if you're building an apartment building, it would help if you
knew whether the demographics of the area advocate that your potential clients will be
families or students or bachelors and so on.

Knowing your community also comes in handy when you want to appreciate the value of your
property. Any real estate wizard will tell you that one of the best ways to appreciate the value
of your property is by making use of landscaping. So when you landscape your property, it
would help if you know your community members. By knowing them, you will be able to decide
what kind of landscaping will be approved and what kind will be frowned upon. Therefore, by
interacting with community members, you can easily gauge the best possible approach to take
when appreciating the value of your building. You don't want a fortune landscaping a property
only to realize that it does nothing for your property's value or even decreases your property's
value.
Information is key to real estate success, so grasp as much information you can from your
community. By meeting community members you will be able to benefit from their knowledge
and experience in dealing with property in the area. This will allow you to avoid mistakes made
by them. Additionally, your networking with them will go a long way, as you might find that
when you go to sell your property, one of the community members offers you a great price.

Meanwhile, by attending community meetings and gatherings, you will know of any changes in
zoning laws pertaining to your area. Furthermore, such meetings will allow you to attain
information about future planning in the community. Things which might alter traffic flow or
access to your property in the future, need to be accounted for by you. Hence, attend
community meetings on a regular basis so you are up-to-date with all future planning and are
then able to make decisions with greater certainty.

Always remember that networking is one of the best ways to making it big in this field. People
like Donald Trump reach where they are because of their networking skills more than anything
else. Networking with important members in the community, such as council members, will
help you in the future if ever you find yourself in a sticky situation. Try and remain on
everyone's good side, because you never know who might come in handy sometime.

What makes a Community?- Chris Guillebeau

A community is a group of people united through a common struggle with the same stories.

Let’s look at the definition and related features in more detail.

A group is more than two people. No man is an island, and two people can be a partnership,
but you need at least three people to have community. Hopefully, over time you’ll have more
than three.

A common struggle unites individuals into groups and creates a sense of urgency. The struggle
can’t be too easy. It’s good to be victorious in the end, but you have to go through some
hardship along the way.

The same stories help bond the group together over time. Stories can be about anything
related to the community. They can be negative, positive, or descriptive.

That’s the definition – my definition, anyway. But what else does a community need?
A community needs a leader. Yes, I know we’re living in a time where everyone’s voice
matters. I’ve written before about Influential Following, about how it’s perfectly fine to be a
follower. But once you start building a community, you become a leader.

I’ve been a part of organic, leaderless groups and they always share two characteristics: a) they
are very small, and b) they lack a collective vision. If you want to grow or take action towards a
greater goal, you need a leader. A leader can recruit other leaders, help group members
assume responsibilities, and so on – but someone has to be that person.

A community needs friends AND enemies. It’s easy to see why friends are needed, but defined
enemies create cohesion among group members. You need a villain, a bad guy. The bad guy can
be a person, group, idea, or belief.

Some might ask, why do you need an enemy? (Can’t we all just get along?) It’s kind of like
asking what happens when nonconformity becomes the norm – what will we do then?

My response is that the idea of nonconformity becoming the norm is kind of like the idea of
world peace arriving tomorrow. That would be wonderful; call me when it happens. Until then,
having a defined enemy increases the strength of the community.

A (strong) community needs a long-term commitment. Make sure you know what you’re
getting into when you start something up, and how long you’re willing to commit to it. A short-
term commitment can produce a weak community, but a stronger group needs time to grow.
The natural cycles of growth and regression are hard to shortcut.

A community needs its own language. The language can be terminology, concepts, or phrases
that take on a special meaning to members of the community. Like anything else, the language
can change over time, but it creates a subtle boundary between group members and outsiders.
Here at AONC I write about world domination, a concept that some people “get” and others
don’t.

A community needs to actively (and carefully) solicit other members. A good community
reaches out to like-minded individuals and invites them to become part of something bigger
than themselves. The message is:

Hey! You are not alone.

Here we are. There are other people who see the world the same way you do. Come and join
us.

Just as a community welcomes the right people with open arms, a strong community will also
gently turn away people who aren’t the best fit. This isn’t rude; it’s good for the community,
and good for the people who don’t belong.
A community built on hope is stronger than one built on fear. Some groups can survive on
negativity, but I think this is a risky gamble. I recently heard a public radio interview with a guy
who runs an alternative, pro-gun rights group here in the U.S. Was he mad about Obama being
elected? Hardly. “This is the best thing that could have happened to us,” he said. He sounded
excited about the fact that his group had someone new to hate.

I give him credit for his honesty. If you can mobilize pissed-off people into a cause, you can go
far. The only thing I worry about is, “Where do you take those people?”

Personally, I would not want to lead a group of pissed-off people. They might turn against me at
some point, just as they turned against something else to unite into a group in the first place.

That’s why I believe a strong community has to be for something in addition to

being against something. The leaders (and active group members) have to be able to lead the
followers out of one place and into somewhere else.

Preaching to the Choir

One more thing (important): when growing a community, it’s usually better to focus on
connecting with people who are naturally predisposed to your message than to try and
convince hostile people to join. Evangelism is hard; recruitment is easy.

Even so, as a community grows, the leader has to begin making choices in who she targets her
communication towards. The categories overlap, but roughly speaking, you have three:

Option 1: Focus on the most vocal members. This is usually a mistake. Just as a good teacher
learns to look past the hands that are always raised, a community leader should try to look
beyond the most vocal and active members to make sure the other people are enjoying
themselves.

Option 2: Focus on the true fans. True fans are vitally important to the long-term sustainability
of the community, but I also think it’s a mistake to focus exclusively on them. Since they
typically represent only about 2-4% of the total group, it’s good to pay attention to what
everyone else thinks too.

Option 3: Focus on the silent majority. The silent majority are the people who just hang out
without ever saying anything. They don’t usually comment on blogs, you may never hear from
them, but they care about what’s happening in the group. Very much.

As important as everyone else is, I think the silent majority is extremely important. Over here, I
appreciate the vocal members, I rely on the true fans, but I don’t want to forget the silent
majority. Sometimes they come out of hiding and I’m amazed at who they are. Wow! Look who
cares about what I have to say. All this time they were there, and I had no idea.
Are you part of the silent majority here? If so, thank you for reading. I take your time and trust
seriously. No pressure to do anything. Everyone else, I appreciate you too. The state of the
union is strong.

Good luck with your own community building.

***

Your Turn (the not-silent group): As mentioned, take my $0.02 for what it’s worth to you. When
I asked for input this morning, I received 28 different definitions of “community” in the first 5
minutes. Feel free to use the comments section to share your own thoughts about what makes
a community.

Riché C. Zamor, Executive Director, Professional Services Division

Latin American Health Institute, Boston, Massachusetts

To me a community is a group of individuals connected to each other by one or

more attribute(s). The element that links them together is at the core, and is the
essence of the group. Just as denoted by the root and the suffix of the word
(common-unity), a certain segment of the population is united by a familiar thread.
In the field of Public Health, we see community as a group of folks that are at risk of
being infected or affected by certain types of diseases based on their demographic,
social, and economic status. A community is a familiar thread used to bring people
together to advocate and support each other in the fight to overcome those
threats. As human beings, we need a sense of belonging, and that sense of
belonging is what connects us to the many relationships we develop. Communities
are also rich in resources, that is where their collective aspect comes into play. We
are all members of many communities (family, work, neighborhood, etc.), and we
constantly move in and out of them, depending on the situation. Community is
where we find comfort in difficult times. When things are not going well in one
community, we have the option to move to another. For me, the community is
where one finds the balance between physical and mental fitness.