SEVEN LESSONS I've learned creating communities / culture over the years:
1. Be RELENTLESS: A culture or community is built by repeating THOUSANDS of little actions / interactions. You have to embody what you're trying to create in every single one of those.
2. Be POSITIVE: Change is painful until it starts paying dividends. Your positivity will provide the energy to overcome that initial pain.
3. Be FIRST: Everything you expect of others, you have to do first yourself. Until the culture / community is built, if you don't do it, no one will.
4. Find your ALLIES: You'll notice a few initial cheerleaders for your cause. Enroll them into the cause immediately; assign them roles; let them HELP you -- you'll need it.
5. IGNORE the doubters: The most frequent reaction you'll encounter is doubt (not opposition). "Is that really going to work?" "Do we need to make a change, right now?" "This company has always been this way." IGNORE the doubters: They'll eventually pick the winning side. Worry more about the group below.
6. NEUTRALIZE the opposers: Neutralize the opposers immediately. If they have good points, incorporate those points into your plan. If they are jealous, praise them. If they're worried about their own future, reassure them. If you ignore the opposers, their opposition will spread to the doubters.
7. Be PATIENT: Creating a culture or community takes TIME. There will be moments when you think it's not working. But remember: If it's working for you, it will eventually work for some.
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