Why does Microsoft need a 5 AM Club community?
The organization realized it really wanted to give employees tools for time management, mindfulness and well-being, especially during COVID, when it was hard to reach and influence people remotely.
We also wanted to create a program unique to the organization, one that didn't exist anywhere else in the world yet.
People in the community share something they don't share anywhere else. They'll always have that nostalgic feeling of having something in common.
What is the 5 AM community and how does it work?
The community is made up of 75 employees. Everyone who joined had to define for themselves why they were doing it. We split them into 3 small groups, each with a personal mentor they started their mornings with. They wake up at 5 AM, get ready, and go: 20 minutes of physical activity, 20 minutes of mental activity, 20 minutes of online inspiration.
How was the community founded?
During COVID, reaching people inside their own homes was a challenge, and the goal was to come up with content that would drive employee engagement. One of our employees sent me a video of Robin Sharma's "The 5 AM Club" and asked how she could do it herself. She suggested bringing it into the organization: she wanted it for herself, and proposed we do it together. I thought to myself: this is a challenge that can connect people, and around here we love a good challenge. I could see there was something interesting here, and that's how it all started.
The registration process was something special. We created a logo and heavily branded swag. We put out a program with a clear message: here's what we did for you, and here's the program we built. We sent an email with photos of people suffering as they dragged themselves out of bed. We didn't sell it with moments of triumph or runs toward the sunrise. We know it's crazy to get up at that hour. We know it's really hard. But we're telling you it's worth it. After that came a questionnaire, then an interview, to get to know people and understand how much they really wanted this.
When did you realize the community was working?
My fantasy was that people would say the program changed their lives, and at least 20 to 30 of them said exactly that, openly. Even their family members said it changed their relationships and their family life. We really touched them. Another sign of success was that community members created rituals of their own. We didn't have to give them a reason to meet; they created it themselves. Running groups sprang up, for example.
And the biggest fantasy of all: business connections, collaborations between employees. When that happened, we knew there was something here that went beyond a human bond. It was real business value.
Cracking the win-win: how do you make sure both the community and the organization get value?
The win for the community: the goal is to take people through something together, so that employees look at their employer and think, wow, I can't believe Microsoft gave me the chance to go through something like this. On top of that, they got tools for time management and mindfulness, and they built social ties and business connections.
The win for the organization: the organization gains by giving its people opportunities for personal growth. Of course, the moment you invest in tools for time management, mindfulness and well-being, the impact shows up as higher productivity and stronger employee engagement. That ultimately carries over to our employer brand, not to mention organizational innovation.
What challenges did you face?
- At the start, more than 200 people signed up, but we could only take 75. Personal attention from the mentors mattered to us, so we ran a screening process: a questionnaire, then an interview. The goal was to really get to know people and understand how much they wanted this, and we chose the ones who fit best.
- Some of the talks we brought in didn't land with people, and that helped us figure out what worked and what didn't.
- Giving them something beyond the ordinary was a challenge in itself. When you do something at a tech company, especially at Microsoft, you have to rise above all the content that's already out there. So most of the budget went toward the people we brought into the program.
- Another challenge was deciding which platform they would use to communicate. In the end we went with a WhatsApp group, because it encourages open communication and it's the most accessible and intuitive tool. At first we tried to limit the group's active hours, to keep work hours from mixing with life after work. But as we went on, we saw the impact happening all day long, with no real way to limit it to set hours.
Tips for building a successful community
- The best tip I can give: don't count on people to do the work. Build the playground for them in advance.
- The start has to be strong. They need to walk in and say wow, and then the impact comes fast. In the first and second weeks, welcome them like kids arriving at summer camp. Start strong and invest in the content.
- Don't be afraid to set conditions for joining and taking part. You're putting a lot of resources and money into this, there's a lot of thought behind it, and the people who really want to be there will be there.
- One thing we've learned to do in every program at the company is ask participants what they expect and how they think it will work. It's really helpful, because it lets us make changes along the way.
- Support the people, not the program itself. That's what really defines a community. They're part of building it and part of the process itself.