The four tensions shaping your ERG (and what to do with them)
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been walking through research from Harvard Business School on the FAIR model for ERGs. (Yes, I did them out of order, as you get to know me, you’ll get used to that).
Resilience. Formality. Audience. Identities.
Layered in between, we looked at the recent Seramount research showing that ERGs are not disappearing. They’re evolving. Membership structures are shifting, visibility is changing, and business alignment is increasing. Leaders are often being asked to demonstrate impact without additional scaffolding.
If leading an ERG feels more complex than it used to, you’re not imagining it. You are navigating all four tensions at once.
You are protecting space for recovery while advocating for visibility. You are balancing informal safety with formal influence. You are designing programming that serves members first while articulating business impact clearly. You are honoring shared identity while acknowledging internal difference.
That is layered leadership.
The research confirms something many of you already know: ERGs matter deeply in uncertain times. But they don’t thrive by accident. They thrive when they are intentionally designed.
This is where Playful Work Design comes in. Not as games or forced fun, but as thoughtful design. Playful Work Design can provide small resets that prevent burnout and clear containers that reduce confusion. It can build intentional sequencing that lowers tension and encourage curiosity that strengthens identity work.
If there’s one thing I hope you take from this series, it’s this:
You are navigating complexity and complexity requires design, not just effort.
If one of these tensions feels especially loud in your ERG right now, I’d genuinely love to know which one. Resilience? Formality? Audience? Identities?
As you continue building and refining your ERG, if you find yourself in need of programming or facilitation support, I’d be honored to partner with you. The work we do together is energizing, grounded in neuroscience, and designed to actually shift something and not just fill the calendar.
