I have always said that if I saw my time again my dream job would be to run a dating agency. I’m an old romantic at heart and I absolutely love bringing people together. But it’s not just potential lovers, it’s friends too. I just love bringing people together that I just know are going to get on.
And while my day job is definitely not running a dating agency, I have been able to indulge my love of connecting people over the last few years. I’ve had countless conversations with EX practitioners, doing great things, but desperate to meet like-minded others.
I’ve lost track of the number of EX pioneers I have ‘set-up’, (or ‘shipped’ as my gen Z teen would say) and the numerous conversations that went “I have to introduce to…. you’ll have so much to talk about”.
Employee experience is an emerging profession, and it can feel a bit like the wild west out there. The early EX pioneers can feel quite lonely at times; they want to meet their tribe and be part of a community, they want to understand what others are doing, share stories and best practice and avoid the pitfalls.
I’ve seen first-hand just how much these connections matter, especially in the early days when EX can seem overwhelming. To have trusted ‘EX’ friends you can talk things over with makes a huge difference not only to your practice but also to how you feel. It can boost your confidence and self-esteem, and give you reassurance that you are doing the right things and the questions you’re asking are absolutely valid.
Over the past couple of years, as I have been connecting EX practitioners, it became increasingly clear that this was something that really mattered. It was also clear that there was no obvious place to go and hang-out (virtually) and meet other EX folks. This realisation played a significant role in the drive to set up The EX Space.
One of the fundamental aims of the EX Space is to quite simply set up a space for the EX community to meet, share, talk , collaborate, and no longer feel alone.
It really does feel like we’re on the edge of a paradigm shift in the way people experience work. And the EX community are absolutely leading on this. Bringing this community together will help to supercharge the brilliant work that is already happening in pockets around the world. And building the EX community will help to create momentum and change the employee experience for good.
If you’re interested in being a part of the growing EX community then sign up to hear when The EX Space launches. I really hope you can join us.
