Leaders need to build a safety net for their community. When it’s an online community, the safety net means creating emotional safety for mutual participation and care. Online meeting often requires a moderator or facilitator to hold the space and create an equal and inclusive power dynamic for everyone involved. Communicating what's happening along the way is helpful for participants to have a shared reality.
This kind of safety is not the high bar, but the necessity to build trust, especially at the start. When we have thought about and considered participants' feelings and needs, it’s a strong indicator for people to trust that they will have an experience with ease and calm.
When the safety net is missing, people are constantly seeking safety by scanning for emotional threats and danger, which leads to distrust and higher chances of conflicts or negative experiences.
How much we understand the safety net reflects the level of empathy we have for the people we seek to serve.
