Corporate Clubs: Building micro-communities.

As I reflect back to my college or high school experience, I can’t help but recall all of the avenues that were created for us students to socialize and build new relationships.

Educational institutions prioritize the creation of clubs because they help students lower stress levels, diversify their skills, and create new friendships.

I cherish so many positive memories from participating in sports teams, school projects, and social clubs.

The downside is that this initiative often disappears as we enter the corporate world upon graduation.

For this reason, teammates and colleagues often feel disconnected within the workplace. Although similarities between two people may be present, they may never be brought to light.

I have done what I can to help initiate and participate in corporate clubs of my own. Among the creative approaches that we have taken, my favorite has been a company softball team, a D&D group (I was the weak link in the group), and of course our book club.

Different companies will have different possibilities, but this will allow several areas of creativity. What matters is that you don’t let your teammates or employees feel as though their only association with one another ought to be work.

I work far better with those that I have the most commonalities with. I tend to discover those commonalities outside of work-related meetings.

Does this really benefit companies?

Yes, more than you might think! What if corporate clubs were among the selling factors as to why an employee should work at your company or want to join your team?

Creating avenues for employees to delve deeper into their passions can have its own ROI attached to the company’s performance.

Imagine never knowing that the person sitting four desks away from you shares the same interests as you. There could even be room for a true friendship there, however, the avenue is never created and therefore nothing flourishes.

You’ve heard the saying before, “People do business with people they trust”, but it’s important to remember that this also applies INTERNALLY. Employees collaborate better on projects with teammates they trust. This trust can be highly influenced by shared interests discovered outside of work hours.

What are others doing to enable this?

Some of the most renowned companies in the world emphasize the importance of creating these micro-communities. The ultimate goal of this is to foster stronger bonds, assist in personal development, and strengthen mental well-being.

A few examples of this occurring are as follows:

Google → Google is known for its extensive range of clubs and activities, ranging from sports clubs (like soccer and volleyball) to interest-based clubs (such as photography, coding, and board games). They find reasons to have employees collaborate and excel.

Salesforce → Salesforce encourages employees to participate in various clubs and activities, including wellness programs, volunteer groups, and professional development clubs. Both parties benefit from participation in these events.

HubSpot → HubSpot offers employees access to clubs and activities focused on wellness, career development, and personal interests. They understand the overall importance of mental and physical health and how that contributes to more output in the workplace.

These corporate clubs can range from informal groups organized by employees to formally recognized clubs supported by the company's HR or culture departments.

There is no shortage of direction when it comes to creating new forms of socialization.

It’s easier than you think. 

There are significant benefits to forming corporate clubs or activities. Whether it’s on a weekly basis or even monthly, impacts can be significant if led properly. Simple initiatives can lead to highly effective groups.

Here are a few ways that you can get your team or organization kickstarted on clubs of your own:

Identify interests → Survey employees to understand their interests and hobbies. This can be done through informal discussions, suggestion boxes, or formal surveys. Ideally, a myriad of interests will be brought to the table with several overlapping interests.

Formulate club ideas → Based on the identified interests, brainstorm club ideas that employees might be enthusiastic about. These can range from sports clubs, hobby clubs (like photography or gardening), and professional development clubs (coding, public speaking), to wellness clubs (yoga, meditation).

Design club structure → Determine the structure of the clubs, including frequency of meetings, activities, and leadership roles. Decide whether clubs will be formally recognized and supported by the company or if they will be more grassroots initiatives led by employees. I typically meet monthly for my corporate clubs.

Set goals and objectives → Clearly define the purpose and goals of each club. These could include team building, skill development, promoting health and wellness, fostering creativity, or enhancing diversity and inclusion.

Allocate resources → Provide necessary resources and support for clubs to thrive. This might include a budget for activities, access to facilities or equipment, and administrative assistance if needed. I typically use our building for gatherings and request a budget to pay for meals while participating.

Promote and encourage participation → Actively promote the clubs to employees through company communications, messaging platforms, and internal newsletters. Encourage participation by highlighting the benefits of joining clubs and how they contribute to personal and professional growth.

Facilitate communication → Set up channels for club members to communicate and coordinate activities effectively. This could be through online platforms, group messaging apps, or dedicated meeting spaces. Make it possible for club members to also collaborate without needing to be in the same physical space. This is especially effective for teams with remote employees.

Test the waters.

I will be honest, the experiences that I have had with corporate clubs have had a far better impact on me than I ever thought. I would also hope that others benefited from each event as well.

Not all clubs will work, but you’ll never truly know without trying.

Try to identify 2-3 overlapping interests within the office space and schedule a single activity. If the group seems to enjoy it, extend the offer to hold the activity on a more regular basis.

As each of us gets older, our external communities tend to get smaller and smaller. It may surprise you that many employees only socialize with their coworkers during the work day. This prevents any real memories with others outside work hours.

The support and friendship of coworkers might change someone’s life. Initiate it. The worst that can happen is that you try to do something to help others. Doesn’t seem so bad, does it?