Community Over Competition in Practice
Hey friend,
Thanks for being here. I'm excited to write about this topic because it's something I think about all the time. I'm always daydreaming about how to make my employees and clients happier, healthier, and just excited about knowing each other.
Building community is always a work in progress. It's ever-changing and truly has a life of its own. It can look different day to day and regularly adapts to the needs of the moment. One of my main goals in taking over this business was to keep, maintain, and grow our community of employees in a way that is productive for all parties as well as meaningful both personally and professionally. I wanted TeaScape to be a place of safety and collaboration for those who spend time here day after day. While each therapist remains largely autonomous, there is a connection between workers and a sense of comfort and ease. There's no competition around client acquisition, but rather a humility in understanding our unique gifts as bodyworkers and recognizing when we cannot offer the best care for a specific client or situation, thus referring them to a different therapist or even a different clinic. That is coupled with robust faith and a knowing that our “perfect fit” will fill the unoccupied space.
This is the dream at least. Admittedly, it takes a lot of deconditioning. Capitalism is very go-getter, climb the ladder, grind it out, close the sale, and so many of those values are deeeeply embedded in our psyche even as we actively push back. It can feel uncomfortable and even counterintuitive to turn down work or give it away. At the end of the day, I truly believe that if we can come together to even just experiment with the ideas that there is always enough to go around, we will not only provide the best work to the most ideal client, but as a collective, we will help heal scarcity mindsets and step into fuller abundance.
So, what does this look like in action?
All in all, it looks like putting people first. Relationships are always more important than opportunity and the health of the individual is the top priority. Here are a few examples, but I know there are more out there. We'd love to hear from you! Let us know: what comes to mind when you think about community over competition?
1. Sharing and promoting other businesses even if there are crossover offerings in your business.
2. Giving credit where credit is due, especially when sharing on social media.
3. Collaborating with others in your industry! Knowing we are stronger in numbers.
4. Allowing employees to take their clientele with them if they move on from your establishment.
5. Taking time off regularly to avoid burnout (and being okay with your employees taking time off regularly as well),
6. Understanding that yes, “rest is productive”, but your productivity doesn't determine your worth.
7. It does not mean that you work for free, work for less, or skimp on boundaries around your needs and expectations.
It takes a lot of trust. There's a lot of unlearning, but we feel this is a more sustainable way of navigating our current way of life. It's softer, accepting, and more trusting of the world to provide. There's less grind and more growth. It's rich with meaning and lessens the load for everyone touched by this new paradigm. While we're all standing on the shaky ground of pandemics, racial injustice, and misinformation we are holding the vision for heart-centered leadership in business and beyond.
Let's Consider:
What emotions come up for you when you see a similar business grow or succeed?
How do you define an online community?
In a perfect world, what is your relationship with your coworkers like?
Our Monthly Inspiration:
Read: Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business by John Mackey, Rajendra Sisodia, Bill George
Read: Waking the Tiger by Peter A. Levine
Listen: Resonance Meditation by Beautiful Chorus
Thank you for meditating on the month with us! See you in June!