Culture comes before community because our cultural experiences and identity are derived from the communities we are part of. Communities exist in different forms, including communities of interest which are based around a shared interest, and communities of practice which require a deeper level of mutual understanding and self-improvement between members. Developing and maintaining a strong community culture involves documenting core values, onboarding new members around those values, providing opportunities for members to bond, and holding each other accountable to uphold the culture. A sign of a good culture is when the community feels like a destination of choice where long-lasting friendships form and members are engaged over the long run without much active management needed.

1. Culture comes before
Community
By Lachlan Sloan
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2. Culture is how people in a
community live
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3. “Culture” is defined as the “customary
beliefs, social norms and material
traits of a particular social group.”
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4. “Culture” comes from the latin word
cultura, meaning “growing” or
“cultivation”
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5. Culture is both a personal and
collective experience.
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6. Our cultural experiences and identity
grow from the communities we are a
part of.
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7. As a people, we derive our values and
world views from the people and
communities closest to us.
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8. the values we take away from our
communities all profoundly impact
the way we see and experience life.
That’s why community is so
important!
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9. The sharing of cultural values is
undoubtedly give-and-take.
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10. We learn from others as others learn
from us. This type of sharing helps us
gain a greater understanding of each
other, which is a necessary step in
bringing us together.
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What is Community?

12. It’s easier to talk about what
community is not
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13. Community is not a place or
environment
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14. Community is not a particular kind of
event
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15. Community is not a business model
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16. Community is not a service or a
commodity
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17. Communities of Interest
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Communities of interest are all around us, and are exactly what they sound like. People who
come together around a common interest, and it can literally be anything. Most meetups are
communities of interest. Most “tech communities” are communities of interest. Some social
groups are communities of interest. They scale very large, can grow quickly, and are relatively
easy to recruit for. They’re also the easiest and most common for people to leave, when their
interests or focus changes. - Alex Hillman

18. Communities of Practice
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Communities of practice are usually a smaller subset of a community of interest. People in a
community of practice often find each other within a community of interest. But the thing that
draws them together goes beyond the interest…there’s an element of mutual self improvement
that pulls them closer together. - Alex Hillman

19. Communities of Practice
crucial attributes;
● Trust
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People in communities of practice tend to bond more slowly, but also more
deeply. When trust is formed, new opportunities and real collaboration is
possible.

20. Communities of Practice
crucial attributes;
● Multi-directional dialogue
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In communities of interest, most of the visible dialogue is one to many.
Presentations & talks are the primary vehicle for gathering. But in a community of
practice, anybody can hold the floor. Anybody can pose a question, or provide an
answer. Value can come from anywhere, and discussions can be started by
anyone.

21. Communities of Practice
crucial attributes;
● Visible growth and improvement
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In a community of practice, people are working towards some kind of “level up”
and in that pursuit, are doing it alongside others who are working towards
something similar of their own. The visibility of people growing and improving
provides incentive for others to put in the effort (“I want to do what they do”) as
well as opportunities for anybody to teach from their experience.

22. Communities of Practice
crucial attributes;
● Visible growth and improvement
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In a community of practice, people are working towards some kind of “level up”
and in that pursuit, are doing it alongside others who are working towards
something similar of their own. The visibility of people growing and improving
provides incentive for others to put in the effort (“I want to do what they do”) as
well as opportunities for anybody to teach from their experience.

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How do you develop &
maintain culture?

24. Your cultures “core values” need to
be documented and made a feature
of your member onboarding
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25. Even God
had to write
them down
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26. All members of the community have
the responsibility to uphold the
culture
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27. Managing the Culture is a full time job
and requires constant curation
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28. Providing activation that helps
members to get to know each other
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29. Create a platform for sharing ideas
and knowledge - “cultivate and
grow”each other
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30. Have a lot of fun together BUT also
rally around each other in the sad
times
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31. As a community provide service
outside of your community
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32. Embrace preference differences and
expect your community to be
respectful of others opinion
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33. What do you do is
someone doesn’t fit
your culture?
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34. First step is identifying where your
members fit on the core value
quadrant
BEWARE false positives!
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35. Harder to spot but
you need to exit
them quickly as
they will damage
your culture
“The Takers”
Should be easy to
spot. Remove them
as they are bad
energy
Can become
engaged and
ambassadors but
require some
encouragement
and support
Your Community
Ambassadors
Ideally all your
members are in
this quadrant
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36. Get rid of “dickheads”quickly and
make sure your community knows
why
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How do I know if I have
a good culture?

38. Retention & Engagement
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39. The community owns the culture
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40. You are a destination of choice
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41. The friendships are visible
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42. Quadrant three members move into
quadrant four!!!
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43. You don’t need to be actively involved
in “managing” the culture
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44. end.
Lachlan Sloan
lachlan@comunita.life
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www.linkedin.com/in/lachlansloan