Almost everyone can list people they want to connect with. It’s usually people like themselves.
Very few of these connections pan out over the long-term.
In communities, this leads to a LOT of inactive sub-groups.
While members certainly want to connect with people like themselves in the moment, you soon find they don’t set aside much time to do it.
Identifying a commonality (who do you want to connect with?) isn’t enough. You also need to go further and find out why they want to connect with these people. These are the problems any sub-group should solve.
The answers might include:
- Emotional validation and support.
- Tips and tricks from people who have overcome the problem?
- Build contacts for a future career change?
- Getting inside information
- etc…
Now when you make an introduction or create a sub-group, don’t leave it with “I think you should meet”. Set a clear purpose, highlight what each person can contribute, and set a timeline too. Close down the groups that aren’t working.
