Community and Culture

Many of us already collaborate in a myriad of different ways, and there is already a loose collective of change agents and systems-level practitioners that are working to create values-based and regenerative economic models for the 21st century. A Whole Person Economy community provides an infrastructure to support these collaborations, build new initiatives, and work together more effectively as a community of like-minded peers.

The culture of the community is often what defines its success. Collaboration is challenging, being vulnerable is intimidating, and disagreements can be uncomfortable. We must consciously strive to always be courteous and polite, both in person and online. Different perspectives are welcome, and the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism is paramount. Be self-aware in your biases and limitations, approach this work with an open mind.

This is most importantly a community of givers. Please watch Adam Grants TED talk on Give and Take to understand the dynamics of givers, takers, and matchers.  We are givers, each and every day.

Inclusivity vs. Exclusivity

As with any community, it is always challenging to balance inclusivity versus exclusivity in terms of who is involved and how do they participate. There is a value of the trust and intimacy enabled by an exclusive group. Our intent however should always be that our work benefits as many people as possible. The structure represented in A Whole Person Economy intentionally works to bridge the divide between inclusivity. This is balanced through our public-facing educational efforts and events and internal community network and knowledge sharing platform.