Hacking HR to Build an Adaptability Advantage

A community is a group of people, who deeply care about a common interest or purpose (achieving a resonating goal, belonging to something that matters, preserving something people love, sharing a particular worldview, or simply having fun). Some of its main characteristics are:

• It emerges spontaneously (cannot be externally controlled or owned)
• Decision making falls on the hands of all its members.
• Members are free to engage or disengage at any time.
• They are all active followers not leaders.

All these characteristics shape one of the most flexible and enduring organizations one can find. To understand this, let’s picture The Beatles’ community of fans. They are an example of being resilient, aspect needed to create a strong community. At the beginnings of The Beatles, there was a group of fans that followed them, watched them and listened to their music. Then, this music group was dissolved, but not their fans, despite such an abrupt change. Nowadays, there’re still fans that have kept Beatlemania alive, with some newcomers that have never watched them, had long plays, cassettes or CDs, but mp3 files. As a result, we have a community with a sense of belonging despite changes and obstacles. This has been possible because their flexibility has allowed them to adapt to circumstances. So, by nurturing a sense of community around organizations (i.e. modern corporations), its members will care about its community, and therefore, adapt better.