Use this guide to build, grow, and engage communities at a grassroots and corporate level through an intersectional lens of inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership.
At We Create Space, we understand that building a community requires intentionality, consistency and a deep commitment. Growing, nurturing and evolving that community takes time, patience and strategy. It is both an art and a science. Whether you're working at a grassroots level or embedding community-building principles into a corporate environment, we believe the same fundamental considerations apply.
Below, we expand on key principles broken down into our core intersectional themes of Inclusion, Wellbeing, and Leadership, with supporting resources. Our work with leaders and corporate partners at a local and global level has shown us the power and impact of weaving these themes into community-building practices, creating spaces where people not only feel they belong but can truly thrive - personally and professionally. We will be releasing our recommended training guides on each key theme in the coming weeks.
INCLUSION:
Designing Communities Where Everyone Feels Welcome.
Inclusion is so much more than representation. Rather, it’s about embedding equity into every layer of community-building, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to engage meaningfully. The principles of grassroots organizing, which focus on amplifying marginalised voices and co-creating solutions, provide a solid foundation for inclusive spaces. By prioritizing collaboration, transparent communication, and an understanding of systemic barriers, inclusive communities can build trust and a sense of belonging among members. This approach fosters collective ownership, shared responsibility, and sustainable impact, ultimately driving social innovation and positive change.
1. Diverse Representation
Diverse representation must go beyond tokenism and takes effort to propagate. It requires actively inviting and elevating voices which are reflective of the diversity within the community, and ensuring they are a part of decision-making processes. In a corporate setting, this means conducting diversity audits and ensuring diverse hiring at all levels. Representation should extend to leadership, boards, and ERG leaders, reflecting the communities the company serves.
WCS Resource: Our Global Speaker Collective
2. Accessibility
Accessibility must address physical spaces, digital tools, and communication methods. Consider how events, programmes, or resources accommodate people with disabilities, neurodiverse individuals, or those with limited financial means. In corporate spaces, accessibility means potentially creating hybrid work options, captioned video meetings, and accessible office designs. Audit physical and digital platforms regularly to identify barriers.
WCS Resource: Imagining the Future of Accessible Workplaces
3. Intersectional Approaches
Recognise that identities such as race, gender, sexuality, and class intersect. These attributes influence how individuals experience inclusion and their needs from a community. Collect and analyse data to address systemic inequities, identify gaps in representation and guide DEI strategies.
WCS Resource: DEI 101: Navigating Data & Intersectionality
4. Research, Data, and Feedback
Regularly assess community needs through surveys, focus groups, and community meetings. Use this feedback to inform strategies and track progress. Companies can implement anonymous pulse surveys to assess inclusion levels, ensuring actions align with employee needs. Transparency about the outcomes of feedback loops is key to building trust.
WCS Case-study: Our annual Community Survey and Community Action Plan.
5. Cultural Awareness and Application
Center the histories, traditions, and unique experiences of the community. Ensure programs respect and amplify these cultural contexts. Global teams require nuanced cultural awareness training to address regional differences. For instance, ensure LGBTQ+ inclusion in markets with varying cultural norms.
WCS Case-study: Queer Latine Identities: Embracing Heritage Across the Diaspora
6. ‘Safe Spaces’
Establish environments where individuals feel safe to share their experiences without fear of harm, judgment, or retaliation. Safety policies should address harassment and discrimination. Develop physical and virtual spaces that promote open dialogue while enforcing anti-harassment policies. Ensure trained facilitators are present to mediate discussions and maintain a culture of respect. Using external partners like We Create Space to bring in experts can help create safe spaces and build trust between communities.
WCS Case-study: Creating Safe Spaces for Community Dialogue
7. Psychological Safety
Psychological safety boosts innovation and engagement. Encourage members to take risks, voice ideas, and express concerns without fear of being judged or penalised. Encourage managers to model vulnerability and compassion while ensuring clear reporting mechanisms for grievances. Foster a team culture where employees feel empowered to challenge ideas constructively.
WCS Resource: Queer Leadership 101: Psychological Safety
8. Transparency and Communication
Transparency builds trust. Regularly share updates about community decisions, funding, and goals to keep members informed. Create dashboards or reports tracking DEI progress and share them with employees. Open channels of communication allow employees to see how their input informs change. A key element of being transparent is having measurable goals in place and tracking them throughout the year to show long term impact.
WCS Case-study: Our Impact in the Community: 2024 Queer Year in Review
9. Inclusive Language
Use language that reflects the diversity of the community, including evolving terms for gender, sexuality, and race. Consult with community members to avoid assumptions. Train employees on inclusive language and ensure all corporate communications—both internal and external—reflect these values. When we use inclusive language, we are contributing to creating spaces that prioritise psychological safety.
WCS Resource: An Intersectional LGBTQ+ Glossary of Terms
10. Ongoing Education
Learning is a continuous opportunity to bring people together with a common mission. Host workshops, provide reading materials, and create opportunities for members to deepen their understanding of inclusion. Integrate DEI learning modules into onboarding and leadership development programs. Leaders should model curiosity and lifelong learning. Upskilling can also help increase employee retention, lead to greater engagement, work life balance, and aid in career mobility.
WCS Case-study: WCS x Garnier: Inclusive Pride Campaign and Advocacy Strategy
WELLBEING:
Sustaining the Health of your Community.
Wellbeing extends far beyond the absence of illness. It encompasses the fulfillment of fundamental needs such as connection, purpose, and self-empowerment. Communities thrive when individuals have access to the resources and support needed to flourish, including safe environments, meaningful relationships, and opportunities for personal and collective growth. Prioritizing wellbeing is not only ethically important but also key to fostering sustainable engagement, resilience, and innovation within a community.
1. Holistic Health
Approach health from multiple dimensions—physical, emotional, mental, and social. Offer wellness programs that generate support networks.
WCS Case-study: Queer Wellbeing Initiative: WCS>BCN
2. Self-Awareness
Encourage members to reflect on their own needs, boundaries, and triggers. This can be done through leadership workshops, training sessions, or one-on-one coaching. Provide tools to help employees develop greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
WCS Resource: Queer Mental Health & High Performance Cultures
3. Trauma-Informed Practices
Recognise that many individuals come to communities with their own lived experiences. Build frameworks that acknowledge and respect these realities. Offer trauma-informed leadership training, teaching managers to recognise signs of stress and respond with empathy and appropriate referrals to resources.
WCS Resource: The Heart of Growth: Reflecting on Trauma
4. Peer Support Systems
Peer support groups can create spaces for mutual empathy and shared wisdom. Encourage ERGs to host mentorship programs or peer-to-peer check-ins, fostering stronger team connections and mental health resilience.
WCS Case-study: Intersectional ERG Collaboration at Omnicom
5. Empowerment Tools
Equip members with resources and knowledge to take initiative. Examples include workshops on self-advocacy or leadership training. Empower employees with ownership over wellness initiatives, such as forming committees or creating wellbeing-focused projects.
WCS Resource: Empowering ERG Leaders: Developing Strategic Budgets
6. Volunteering Opportunities
Create opportunities for members to give back, fostering a sense of collective purpose and contribution. Partner with local organisations to offer corporate volunteering days, aligning company values with social impact.
WCS Case-study: WCS Give Back: Volunteering Opportunities Hub
7. Fun and Play
Integrate fun into community-building activities, such as music events, art workshops, or outdoor adventures. Plan team-building days focused on joy, creativity, and relaxation—without attaching productivity goals.
8. Access to Digital Resources
Offer online portals or apps for access to educational materials, resources, and support. Create a company learning hub dedicated to wellbeing, with resources like meditation guides, webinars, and self-enquiry toolkits.
WCS Case-study: WCS Campus: Our Digital Learning Platform
9. Safeguarding
Have clear safeguarding policies to protect community members from harm. This includes having trained facilitators who can de-escalate conflicts. Develop and enforce workplace harassment policies, creating safe channels for employees to report concerns.
10. Celebration of Successes
Regularly highlight individual and collective achievements to build morale and strengthen community bonds. Recognize employees’ contributions through awards, public shoutouts, or dedicated company celebrations.
WCS Case-study: WCS | Awards: Recognising Leaders Serving their Community
LEADERSHIP:
Inspiring and Empowering Through Action.
Leadership is a key driving force behind any successful community. It is the foundation for setting the tone, vision, and values of the group, ensuring members feel empowered, motivated, and supported. Effective leadership goes beyond delegation and decision-making; it requires empathy, authenticity, and a commitment to fostering growth within the community. Great leaders not only inspire action but also create environments where individuals are encouraged to innovate, take risks, and bring their full selves to the table. Communities thrive when their leaders model the behaviors they wish to see—collaboration, resilience, and a focus on shared goals—while actively dismantling barriers that hinder inclusivity or wellbeing.
1. Authenticity
Authentic leaders build trust by being transparent about their values and lived experiences. Encourage leaders to show vulnerability and authenticity, modeling openness for their teams.
WCS Resource: The Invisible Labour of 'Authenticity' at Work
2. Vision and Purpose
A shared vision unites a community and provides motivation for members to engage. Align company values with leadership goals, ensuring every employee understands how their role contributes to the bigger picture.
WCS Case-study: WCS Manifesto: Taking Up Space
3. Storytelling
Share personal narratives to foster connection and inspire action. Leaders should use storytelling in meetings, presentations, and mentorship to humanize their approach and inspire teams.
WCS Resource: Queer Leadership 101: Intergenerational Wisdom
4. Understanding Power and Privilege
Leaders must acknowledge systemic inequities and work to dismantle them within the community. Provide training on privilege and allyship to ensure leaders use their power to elevate others.
WCS Resource: 7 Powerful Steps to Become an Active Ally
5. Active Mentorship
Match emerging leaders with mentors who can guide and empower them. Create mentorship programs that prioritize underrepresented groups, fostering talent pipelines.
WCS Resource: Woman to Woman: Lessons from a Lesbian Executive
6. Legacy Planning
Leadership succession should prioritize continuity and community values. Develop inclusive succession plans, focusing on diversity in leadership pipelines.
WCS Resource: Queer Perspectives: Growing Older and Leaving a Legacy
7. Empathy and Compassion
Leaders should actively listen and respond with compassion to community needs. Emotional intelligence training can help leaders cultivate deeper team connections.
WCS Resource: Queer Leadership 101: Empathetic Leadership Skills
8. Brave Spaces and Active Listening
Create environments where challenging but necessary conversations can happen. Facilitate open forums where employees can share ideas, feedback, or concerns without fear of retaliation.
WCS Case-study: Creating Space for Queer Women
9. Building Resilience
Resilience looks different to every person. Equip your community members with tools and space to adapt to challenges and recover from setbacks. Offer resilience workshops or coaching to help employees manage stress and change effectively.
WCS Resource: Redefining Resilience: Self-Care for Queer Career Women
10. Visible Role Models
Highlight leaders from within the community to inspire others. Celebrate diverse leaders through internal communication and public-facing platforms to reinforce representation.
WCS Resource: WCS | Report: The World Needs More LGBTQ+ Leaders
CONCLUSION:
Whether shaping a grassroots movement or embedding these principles into corporate culture, community-building is about creating environments where people feel valued, safe, and empowered. At We Create Space, we’ve seen first-hand how Inclusion, Wellbeing, and Leadership transform communities and organizations alike.
Ready to unlock the potential of your community? Let’s build it together. For more on our approach to community-building or to explore our products and services, get in touch.
While you're here...
Did you know we consult with Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here.
We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!