Mastering Community

From the author of Mastering Civility, a thoroughly researched exploration of the impact and importance of building thriving communities, with actionable steps on how to create them in your work and broader life. In her powerful new book, Christine Porath explores how the rise of technology and modern workplace practices have fractured our communications yet left us always “on” digitally. Through now common practices like hot-desking and remote work (even without the added isolation of social distancing we experienced during the pandemic), our human interactions have decreased, and so too have our happiness levels. This lack of a “human factor” is sparking a crisis in mental health that will have repercussions for years to come, leaving people lonelier and making the bottom line suffer, too. What Christine has discovered in her research is that leaders, organizations, and managers of all stripes may recognize there is a cost, but have no idea as to implement the cure: Community. With her signature depth and grasp of research across myriad industries including business, healthcare, hospitality, and sports, Christine extrapolates from the statistics on the experiences of hundreds of thousands of people across six continents to show us the potential for change. Through sharing information about the community, empowering decision-making discretion and autonomy, creating a respectful environment, offering feedback, providing a sense of meaning, and boosting member well-being, anyone can help a community truly flourish. The applications are endless, the stories are positive and uplifting, and will inspire the reader to establish and grow their community—be it in the workplace or the PTA—and make it thrive.