Last night I was thinking about the types of organizations which people are so willing to join that they are eager to spend money/time to do so. What value do these organizations offer? What can we learn from them?
Here’s what came up to my mind:
- Hobby clubs – they offer the opportunity to practice what you enjoy doing
- Sport teams – the adrenaline/ winning
- Volunteering at NGOs – making the world a better place; being on a mission
- Fan clubs – they give you the chance to be closer to someone/thing you admire
- Universities/ Academies – getting better
- Church – strong belief in certain ideas
- Social clubs – it’s fun and chill
- Alcoholics Anonymous and the likes – getting support
The common denominator for most of these organizations is the sense of belonging to a group of like-minded people.
ARE YOU A HOBBY CLUB, A CHURCH OR A SPORTS TEAM?
I work with many organizations that are struggling to define their employer brand USPs – they don’t know what differentiates them from other companies in the same industry. Here’s a good starting point:
Find out if you are a support group, a hobby club, an NGO…. Ask your employees to rate the following statements from 1 to 10:
Working in XYZ feels like being a part of:
- A hobby club… with deadlines 🙂 (I get to do things I enjoy)
- Sports team (A lot of adrenaline, competition, focus on achievements)
- NGO (We are making the word a better place/ We are on a mission)
- A fan club (I get to work with people I admire)
- University (I learn so much all the time)
- Church (we are bound together by the strong belief in a certain idea)
- Social club (It’s fun and chill)
- Support group (I get the support to become a better version of myself)
- A group of like-minded people where I belong
THREE TYPES OF COMAPNIES:
Omni – organizations: Some companies – like SpaceX – are an academy, a hobby club, a sports team, an NGO, a fan club, a church all in one.
Poly – organizations: Most companies cover 2-3 types of organizations which are connected. For example – an NGO + a university + a support group.
Focus – organizations: Netflix is a good example of a single-focus organization. We are an Olympic team, they say.
WHICH OPTION IS THE BEST?
I don’t know. The way I see the world, the most important thing is not what kind of organization you are but knowing what kind of organization you are. Once you know it, communicate it clearly so that you can build a place where people belong.
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About me: Apart from acting as a CEO of DEV.BG (the biggest IT community in Bulgaria) I help CEOs of small companies build their business. If you face a case I can help you with, drop me a message on LinkedIN.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
