In this conversation between Fleur Praetorius, Matías Rodriguez, Saskia Hinger and Sebil Gülkanat from Studio Banana, we explore the nature and power of communities to unleash business transformation, following our recent experiences from different industries.

¹ Organisations versus communities. Unveiling their real nature.
² Community lifecycles: an “unpredictable” journey full of opportunities.
³ Community building: addressing the cross-generations challenge.
⁴ Workplace design for community activation—inspiration is key.
⁵ Bypassing the digital bridge: it’s time to curate quality moments.
⁶ Measuring community success—raise the right questions!

Nowadays, we recognise the pivotal role of “communities” in shaping a thriving work culture. However, to truly foster social cohesion, promote collective well-being and effectively drive business transformation, it is key to understand its real nature and stop labelling any organisational project as a “community”. More than the mere coexistence of a group of people in the same space or a virtual “Teams” group joining from 8 am to 5 pm, their essence is nurtured by shared values, collective experiences, trust, and an urge to belong.

On a spectrum between more traditional organisational structures like project teams and communities the differences are substantial: whereas the former typically follow top-down, hierarchical structures dictated by predefined protocols, the latter thrive in bottom-up democratic environments, with every member experiencing a sense of empowerment and a certain level of autonomy and freedom. This inherent, spontaneous dynamism cannot be artificially extrapolated: to power this engine, there must be intrinsic motivation—an “inside-out” movement fuelled by the shared visions of individuals willing to contribute to a common cause.

Rather than a strict opposition, successful businesses often incorporate elements along the spectrum. For example, agile enterprise approaches and flat network structures encourage autonomy and collaboration, a shared vision fosters motivation, engagement and is the basis of lived empowerment, while maintaining a certain hierarchical structure for strategic decision-making. 

Due to its fluid nature, being part of a community entails embarking on a dynamic process; an uncontrollable journey that may also eventually end. Healthy communities are also those with the capacity to dissolve once its purpose is fulfilled. Recognizing that a community is no longer necessary is as important as acknowledging that there is a need for it. Even in the case of a temporary community, there are always valuable takeaways and skills that can contribute to company culture.

As communities take different shapes depending on their purpose and shared vision, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them. What organisations may benefit from is the presence of a facilitator who can anticipate future challenges or needs, provide structure to empower decision-making, and offer tools to drive more traction. Looking back to the past is also key: recognising situations where communities fail due to internal problems or poor management practices and learning from them can provide crucial lessons for future development that avoid repeated mistakes.

Communities are not always meant to die. Sometimes, they simply fade away, and community builders are ignored until they disappear. Given that ghosting is a reality, it’s important to address that organisations might not be ready to build communities if they haven’t first identified the motivations of potential advocates—especially in today’s diverse working landscape, where up to five generations with different mindset and decision-making drivers coexist within the same ecosystem.

If there’s an acknowledgement of the differences besides a shared vision, organisations can tackle the cross-generation challenge and collaborate on mutual learning and growth. Mindset alignment addressed through different methods like training, reverse mentoring programmes, and collaborative intergenerational workspaces can help break down generational barriers and foster a company culture based on honesty, open communication, individual empowerment, and mutual respect—serving as the glue to build resilience and shape culture.

“People mostly only realise that they have a need when they’re in a crisis. Shared things to fight for are always the better glue for community creation. We should ask ourselves if organisations can recognise that ignition”.

Sebil Gülkanat, Design Manager at Studio Banana

Although a community can be a powerful source of inspiration to others, bringing people on board requires a gradual process as not everyone moves at the same pace. Establishing a connection turns crucial: people need to be closer to others they can relate to, someone they trust to bridge the gap and ignite inspiration.

For organisations, it’s essential to identify the different speeds and support those who are willing to explore, while not forcing others not yet ready. Successful activation hinges on well-defined processes that intentionally also leave space for spontaneous and unforeseen interactions, that sustain authenticity and eventually evolve into organised protocols with a clear strategy. And this is why a community can´t be equated to a “project”. While the latter has a start and an end, a community doesn’t.

While digitalization may create the illusion of agility and growth, it doesn’t necessarily foster the development of a resilient community. The shift to a fully digital world during the pandemic left little room for meaningful connections amid endless back-to-back virtual meetings. As we transition into a post-pandemic hybrid reality, it’s imperative to intentionally curate genuine quality physical or virtual interactions with others, instilling a sense of belonging while shaping a collective vision along the way.

What’s the real value of a community? How to quantify its benefit? If companies want to drive lasting change, it’s time to start measuring qualitative aspects. Employee satisfaction based on sentiments like happiness, motivation and personal fulfilment is a crucial indicator of community success. Integrating complementary quantitative measures, such as productivity, innovation, sick leave, the growth of knowledge and the rate of inter-departmental collaboration, would be also beneficial for a more comprehensive overview of communities’ impacts. Employee retention is another vital measure to consider, as a connected workforce not only attracts talent but also builds resilience. A supportive community enhances both quantitative and qualitative performance, and that unity is invaluable.

“I think of it as a space that can be physical or virtual, whatever works best, but it needs a solid core and a flexible membrane malleable enough to fit different visions, opinions and people… it’s quite a nice metaphor for this community idea.”

Fleur Praetorius, Design Strategist at Studio Banana