Working together can build more than success
By Dr. Matthew Lapp, Columnist, The Times
In this article we will explore the concept of creating community in the hopes of achieving a greater sense of connection and sustainability. As with any goal, we need to start with the end in mind. To do so, we must first define what it is that we are after.
Community is defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. For example, traditionally, we think of a community as being an entity that is determined by geographic location. However, a community can also be thought of as a collection of friends, a church congregation, a local service organization, a hobby group, etc. A community can be a collection of people who share a similar idea or passion. A workplace is a community that’s created in order to achieve a specific goal. Sports teams are a community of individuals who come together to compete, with the goal being to win the game, match, or contest.
Often, people in a community may not have the same background or even the same overall outlook on life, however, the passion or goal that they share has the ability to transcend these differences and create a sense of unity.
Author and thought leader, Seth Godin, talks about this concept in the context of “tribes.” In much the same way as a community can be centered around ideas or ideals, when we create our tribe, we actually attract those people towards us who have the same desires and goals. And, in doing so we have an opportunity to work together in order to create something that far exceeds what would be possible if we were to act alone.
Especially in times of adversity, it’s important to acknowledge the need for this connection among people in order to move forward in a positive and productive manner.
If you examine your own life, you may notice that you are a member of several communities all at once. You may have a group of family members, or a collection of people you talk with on a regular basis, or a congregation at church who you feel connected to on a different level.
From this perspective, you may also see how working in collaboration with others can have a profound impact on what you’re actually able to accomplish. You may also notice that, especially during times of adversity, it is your community that you rely on to gain strength, perspective, and direction.
Often, the larger the community is, and the more connected those within the community are to each other, the greater the chance for collaboration and the greater the likelihood of success. Ultimately, this suggests a linear relationship between the degree of challenge and the extent collaboration with the outcome being a certain level of success achieved. The higher the level of challenge, and the higher the degree of collaboration, the greater the likelihood for success.
We all have gifts to contribute and in order to do so, we need to be conscious of them as well as willing and able to offer them to our respective communities. For example, in the business world, collaboration can have a significant influence on success and sustainability of the business. In a similar way, collaboration among residents of a city or town can create a thriving geographic community. Collaboration among those who have similar goals, can help the goal to be realized faster and more efficiently.
Fortunately, we don’t all have the same interests, goals, or passions. Therefore, we have an opportunity to impact our respective communities in different ways by sharing our unique gifts and by collaborating with each other to realize a positive future.
Drs. Allison and Matthew Lapp are the owners of Salus Chiropractic Studio in Thorndale. For more information, visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalusChiropracticStudio
