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Building Community: Part One – Community of Practice
As you enter the second half of your working life, you may naturally transition from seeking success to seeking significance. In that context, finding a community of purpose can be a powerful way to build relationships with others who desire to deliver a similar purpose, creating a sense of belonging and value.
Alumni Groups Example
One natural community of purpose could be the alumni association of a school, college, or university you’ve been attached to. You seek to further the future of the institution. You will be drawn into a community of purpose, and if you fundamentally believe in the value of the institution from which you’ve graduated, then joining that community of purpose can be highly fulfilling.
Often, those communities of purpose niche down. The college at Cambridge I attended has a regular alumni association newsletter, a separate newsletter for the rowing club, and a separate newsletter for people who live in Cambridge. You may want to engage with a particular niche.
My father attended a school where you could join the Goddard Society. The Goddard Society existed to honour those who committed to making a legacy to the school in their wills. Every year, members of the Goddard Society were invited to dine at the school and meet one another. Perhaps it was a way for them to learn more about what was going on at the school; maybe it was a way to encourage them to be more generous donors in their legacy. However, there was a community of purpose, even if it was only expressed one evening a year.
Other Examples
Many people find a community of purpose around a campaign. Others find a community of purpose around some kind of charitable action. Some people find a community of purpose around a particular sport. Others find it around a shared endeavour outside their professional expertise, such as fishing, golf, or hiking. Whatever brings you together with a shared purpose is an opportunity for you to engage with a community of purpose.
As you start to find people with a similar purpose, you often find people with similar values. You meet people with whom you can share at a different level. People who will understand where your passions lie and will encourage and support you in those passions. This sustains other parts of your identity and inspires personal growth and motivation.
Purpose: from Success to Significance
As you engage with the community and join communities of purpose, you will understand what purpose means for you. This clarity will guide you on the journey from success to the significance that so many people aspire to in their Portfolio Executive careers, giving you a sense of focus and determination.
Charles McLachlan is the founder of FuturePerfect and on a mission to transform the future of work and business. The Portfolio Executive programme is a new initiative to help executives build a sustainable and impactful second-half-career. Creating an alternative future takes imagination, design, organisation and many other thinking skills. Charles is happy to lend them to you.