The Challenges of Leading a WhatsApp Community and How to Succeed

Imagine being at the center of a heated WhatsApp group debate, with members questioning your credibility, demanding answers, and even leaving in protest. That was my reality when I tried managing a high-stakes professional network on WhatsApp.

Spoiler alert: It didn’t end well.

A few years ago, I found myself managing the affairs of a competitive professional network. Most of the discussions, updates, and decisions were made via WhatsApp. At first, everything seemed smooth, until we announced a competition where members could compete for a prize. And as you know, in any competition, there are winners and losers.

Hell broke loose when some members, who saw themselves as the ‘favorites,’ failed to win. The backlash was intense. Complaints flooded the group chat, emotions ran high, and accusations were thrown left and right.

Eventually, things spiraled out of control. Some members left the group in protest, creating a full-blown crisis. The situation got so bad that the project lead had to intervene to restore order.

If you have ever seen members angrily exit a WhatsApp group, you can imagine the level of embarrassment I felt, especially knowing my boss was witnessing everything firsthand.

In this article, I share my personal experience managing a WhatsApp-based professional network, the valuable lessons I learned, and what I would do differently if given another chance.

Read more here.