Becky Robinson (<a title="@LeaderTalk on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/leadertalk" target="_self">@LeaderTalk</a>) published a blog entry today on the <a title="Mountain State University's LeaderTalk Blog" href="http://mountainstate.typepad.com/leadership/" target="_self">Mountain State University LeaderTalk Blog</a> titled <a title="Creating Community on LeaderTalk" href="http://mountainstate.typepad.com/leadership/2009/12/creating-community.html" target="_self">Creating Community</a>. It's a concise introduction and overview of the process of creating community.

In the introduction, she said "it's not automatic that where people gather, there will be community." Her point is that purpose and intentionality are required to create community.  She went on to make 4 points about the process:
<ol>
	<li>Leaders foster shared relationships</li>
	<li>Leaders initiate shared experiences</li>
	<li>Leaders cultivate shared goals and purpose</li>
	<li>Leaders celebrate shared achievement</li>
</ol>
Please go <a title="Creating Community on LeaderTalk" href="http://mountainstate.typepad.com/leadership/2009/12/creating-community.html" target="_self">read her post</a>.  Then, think about how you can cultivate the shared goals and purpose.  I'm currently developing a series on vision and our group is about to host a webinar with David Porter of Bulls Eye Leadership titled Company to Community December 16. about how to help your company become a community.  Shared relationships, experiences and achievement center on shared purpose. Relationships formed around a shared goal or purpose take on new life as everyone seeks the relationships and leverage to achieve the goal.  The clearer the shared purpose, the easier it is to establish the relationships, engage in the experiences and enjoy the achievement.

All of the factors Becky mentions are necessary for community.  Cultivate a shared goal or purpose and cement the relationships, experiences and achievement.