The whole point of a community is to have a shared affinity around a passion or topic. I knew I was going to like the Meetup F*ckup Nights NYC** because the topic of failed entrepreneurial moments is right up my alley.
The Meetup took place at the top floor of a co-working space in Brooklyn. After I checked in with security at the front desk, they pointed me to the correct floor in the building. On the elevator ride up, I introduced myself to someone who was attending the meetup as well. He and I walked in together, and then hung out as we got situated. Having just one additional person to talk to makes the initial social awkwardness wash away.
I quickly recognized the Meetup organizer since he looked just like his picture on Meetup.com. But he was so busy I didn’t get a chance to say hello. I had tried to reach out to him ahead of time, but never heard back.
Everyone involved in the meetup was running around setting stuff up, so the members were left to mix and mingle by themselves. In such an environment, extroverts thrive, but what about the introverts or even the ambiverts?
Having a clear check-in process and signage about where to go was helpful, but it wasn’t enough. A simple door greeter to welcome people as well as make connections would’ve been extremely valuable for everyone attending for three main reasons:
1) Breaks Social Awkwardness
I was lucky to have met someone right away in the elevator. From the moment I walked in, I was plugged into a conversation and wasn’t left standing by myself. I noticed as other people walked into the room by themselves that their faces would express a sense of social awkwardness. Having someone at the entrance to welcome members would help to ease the weirdness.
2) Social Lubricant for Introverts
An extrovert would happily walk into a room of new people by themselves and start making introductions. An introvert, on the other hand, isn’t going to warm up to a room full of strangers as easily. Most communities have a mix of both introverts and extroverts. Don’t leave it up to chance for your introverts to feel as connected as your outgoing extroverts. Have someone at the entrance to make sure everyone is instantly greeted by a smile and hello.
3) Builds Shared Bonds
The perfect greeter would know as much about each member as possible. Then, when someone enters the room, the greeter not only would welcome them, but also make an introduction to another member around a shared interest. This simple additional step is hard to pull off as it requires a lot of personal knowledge about each member. But, it is a massive ingredient in building shared bonds between members. And shared bonds keep people coming back.
Every event is going to have a lot of moving logistical pieces to set up. So, make sure within your team, there is at least one person who, instead of focusing on the setup, is focused on greeting members and connecting them with each other.
