For many people, the workplace has become their predominant community.

If we go back to the 50’s, before television, people’s major community seemed to exist around the street or neighborhood in which they lived. Nobody ever really locked their home and if you went to visit, you went round to the back door. Front doors were more ornamental than anything. Knocking wasn’t even always required, more of a “sing out” as you walk in the door.

But perhaps it was the introduction of things like TV’s that gave a house something that could be stolen and sold for cash. At some point, we stopped going out to see the neighbors in the evening and started staying in to watch TV. This love of the Telly perhaps gave the TV great value and soon the burglars began to break in and take it, and anything else of value they could find.

When I was a kid growing up in pubs in the inner, working class areas of Melbourne, there was always some bloke trying to flog off a “hot” TV.

As time went on, we started closing the door and gathering around the TV. Neighborly communication was reduced to a hello over the fence or a quick chat on the phone. Soon we were installing locks and security systems as the people on the telly told us we needed them.

Connection with other, non family beings, became reduced to our interactions at work. And this has grown over time to a point where many people have derived their strongest social network through their work community.

Developing this community could be a major key in the quest for higher levels of productivity, workforce stability and a culture of success.