History
The PRW Microcommunity, in its current form, was established in 2011 by a four-person Steering Committee (Stephanie Creary, Elana Feldman, Kathy Kram, and Emily Heaphy). With guidance from Jane Dutton (co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizations and founding member of the PRW Microcommunity) and Amy Wrzesniewski (organizer of the Meaning Microcommunity/the May Meaning Meeting and member of the PRW Microcommunity), the Steering Committee crafted the Microcommunity’s mission and vision statement.
Since its inception in 2011, the Microcommunity has grown to over 300 members. Members include a collaborative group of faculty, doctoral students, and scholar-practitioners from a wide range of institutions. These members interact virtually as well as in person at PRW-sponsored events.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is charged with shaping and guiding the Microcommunity’s activities. However, the Microcommunity is member-driven: the Steering Committee relies on its members to suggest new ideas, lead events, and find ways to build community. (Please contact us with any suggestions that you have!)
The composition of the Steering Committee has changed over time. These changes are rooted in the twin goals of facilitating the growth of the Microcommunity and supporting the shifting lives of Steering Committee members.
Current and Past Steering Committee Members:
- 2011-2014: Stephanie Creary, Elana Feldman, Emily Heaphy, Kathy Kram
- 2014-2016: Stephanie Creary, Elana Feldman, Emily Heaphy, Kathy Kram, Kerry Roberts Gibson, Beth Schinoff
- 2016-Present: Elana Feldman, Emily Heaphy, Beth Schinoff, Sally Maitlis, Kerry Roberts Gibson
Additional changes to the Steering Committee will take place over the coming years, as we look to incorporate the energy and perspective of different Microcommunity members.
Website
The PRW Microcommunity website (www.positiverelationshipsatwork.org) has enjoyed two online “homes”: The Center for Positive Organizations and Boston University. Our site is currently hosted by the Center for Positive Organizations. We are grateful to both Boston University and the Center for Positive Organizations for their support of our Microcommunity.
Member Resources
Microcommunity members have to access to several important resources:
- The PRW Microcommunity Google Group: Members share information related to the Microcommunity (e.g., relevant events and recently published articles), ask questions of other members, and seek support for their work.
- Reference list: Members receive a list of foundational scholarship references in the area of positive relationships at work. (Coming soon: A shared, community-maintained list of relationship-related publications!)