Affiliate Groups

While I’m not a part of a corporate workplace, I do keep myself involved on what’s happening – through my clients, my friends, and my professional development. 

One of the things I’ve been hearing about a lot lately are Affiliate Groups.  These are informal groups of people who come together around a common topic.  There can be affiliate groups for Parents, Black Women in Leadership, Men Who Hate Sports, or just about anything!  The idea is for employees to be able to find people like them in your organization, to build a sense of community, and to sometimes problem-solve about workplace (or life) concerns.

If you would like to start Affiliate Groups in your workplace, the key takeaways are:

• These are employee-led groups.  They should be created by employees, led by employees, cultivated by employees.  This is NOT a top-down initiative.

• Company resources are greatly appreciated – for a place to meet, for advertising the groups existence (and meetings), for time, and for food if you’re feeling really generous!  Show your people you support them by literally supporting the groups they want to have.

Do you have Affiliate Groups in your workplace (by that or any other name)?  What are some of the benefits you could see from supporting Affiliate Groups?  What might be some drawbacks or potential concerns?