How to host a community WELCOME PARTY
Hint: It's not a tour
The day you fling open the doors to a community or kickstart a brand-new cohort brings all the feels. It's a strange mix of nerve-racking, exhilarating and FUN.
Finally, the people you've invited to join are gathering live. The work you've invested to prep and plan is finally done — or at least done-enough!
But what exactly should you DO?
As I see it, the main goal of a welcome party is to create some common bonds.
This is NOT the time to lean into endless logistics.
Yesterday I hosted the welcome call inside The Hive, a community for community builders.
Here's a brief run-down of my agenda.
✳️ A reminder of why we were gathered and what we all have in common.
✳️ A reflection based on needs members had shared with me in some pre-work.
✳️ An overview of the 3 core values in our community along with a few personal stories:
Kindness 🌸
Curiosity 🧩
Possibility ☀️
✳️ One round of breakout rooms to spark connections.
✳️ A peek at what's ahead and a teensy mention of a few important guidelines and logistics.
✳️ A simple list of next actions before we REALLY get started next week.
Sprinkled in were stories, laughter, and some community lore. We also kept it short and wrapped up in well under an hour.
At the outset of the call, I shared a quote from Priya Parker about the importance of "closing the door to create the room". As we closed, I challenged members with the question, "Who ELSE belongs in the room?" It’s important to get the mix right at the outset.
There's room for YOU before the doors close next week. If you're curious, you can learn more here, or I'd love to hear from you. ☀️
We’re better together,
🐝 Doors are open to join The Hive, a tight-knit community to help founders build a thriving community without feeling lost, overwhelmed or alone. We’re welcoming Founding Members through January 17.