Communities Of Practice

Louis de Merode [email protected] http://www.silvercreekassoc.com © 2000 Silver Creek Associates

SHRM Atlanta October 2000

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice: What Are They?

“Communities of Practice are a group of professionals, informally bound to one another through exposure to a common class of problems, common pursuit of solutions, and thereby themselves embodying a store of knowledge. (Brooke Manville, McKinsey & Co.)"

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Communities of Practice: What Are they Not? Teams

Communities

Joint accountability for resultsIndividual accountability to each other Provide value directlyProvide value indirectly, through members Small number of people (in the tens)Could be large (in the hundreds) Interdependent work relationsWork independent of each other Clear membershipOften (not always) permeable boundaries Everyone contributes as requiredLevel of contribution voluntary, variable Part of structure, report to hierarchyTypically overlap multiple hierarchies

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How did they come about?

Complexity, globalization Technology Downsizing, reengineering New Theories about Knowledge New Theories about Learning

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What Can they do for You? Increase Customer Intimacy Reduce organizational fragmentation Produce innovation

Spread good ideas

Increase individual competence

Provide a home base for learning needs Initiate newcomers

Solve problems

Improve the quality of work life

Help attract and keep good people Provide a harbor in times of change

Improve quality

Develop strategic competencies

Save avoidable mistakes

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What is Knowledge that it can be shared?

Two Kinds: Explicit Can be communicated symbolically

Tacit Too subtle, beyond (self)awareness, too deeply embedded

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Where Does Knowledge Reside? People’s heads

Communities

Objects in communities

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE ARE THE NATURAL WAY OF MANAGING TACIT KNOWLEDGE

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How do Communities Share and Create Knowledge? They explore topics together

They ask for help when they are stuck

They spawn research and dissemination efforts

They draw lessons together from their experiences

They warn each other of the blind alleys they have gone down and the mistakes made

They share the ideas that have worked for them They record what they learn together

NONE OF THIS IS NEW, BUT OFTEN IT HAPPENS INFORMALLY (inefficiently) AND IT DOESN’T HAPPEN ENOUGH 8of 19

Different Legitimate Roles lurkers

core members leaders

occasional contributors

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CoP Success: Key Ingredients Purpose • Shared purpose, “passion” • Shared need • Clear value potential

• • • • •

Enablers Technology Time Budget Support Incentives

Fit Leadership • Community • Practice

• • • • •

People Competencies Affinities Commitment Behaviors Diversity of perspectives

Processes • Learning conversations • Storytelling • Flexible communications strategies 10of 19

The Behavioral Divide * What Gets in the Way of Learning

Defensive Routines Avoid embarrassment Don’t put people on the spot Debate to win Stay in control Talk in the abstract Keep negative feelings to yourself  Blame and deflect blame      

THEORIES IN USE

Learning Principles  Share your data in public, make them testable. Use examples, illustrations, stories  Make your reasoning transparent, contestable  Invite dissenting opinions  Help others make free, informed decisions  Take personal responsibility for the above ESPOUSED THEORIES * Chris Argyris

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The Behavioral Change Strategy TYPICALLY •People believe in those learning principles •But they are unaware that they are not practicing them SO START WITH WHAT IS THERE •Form CoPs where commitment is high •Remove disincentives •Secure management support •Select and train leaders •Ensure safe space •Leaders model learning behaviors •Establish community of community leaders 12of 19

The Community Leadership Dance

Community

Practice

Seek participation Manage entry and re-entry Take lead in organizing community events, building trust Coach participants on effective behaviors Develop external relations

Model sharing, learning, participating Harvest learnings Weave the threads of the conversation together Lead towards the next level of learning 13of 19

The Role of the Senior Leadership

 His/her support needed to go beyond the informal level (budget, strategy, etc.)  Operating a cultural shift in the balance between process and results  Key role cajoling/nudging middle-management to give CoPs some space  Potentially very important role in modeling a learning culture in senior management team

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Community Development Tasks Developing repertoire: gradually becoming more sophisticated about what works and what doesn’t for the community.

Progressing through the learning levels: To: Pro-active, strategic (developing learning agendas)

From: Haphazard, incremental (exchanges of tips, ad-hoc problemsolving)

From:Parochial To:Boundaryless 15of 19

Communities of Practice: Stages of Development * Energized

Active Dispersing

Maturing

Potential Coalescing

1. Discover/ Prepare

2. Initiate/ Incubate

3. Focus/ Grow

4. Sustain/ Renew

5. Let Go/ Remember

* Richard McDermott & Etienne Wenger

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Dilemmas to be Negotiated

Alignment

Internal motivation

Measurement

Self-organization

External motivation

Self-assessment

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Needed or Helpful Resources

    

Core support/training/facilitation/coaching Time (for leadership, CoP-spawned tasks) Technological support Librarian, documentation services, help desks Community Events

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First Steps •Charter community development team •Map knowledge domains, linking them to strategy •Find existing/potential communities; select communities to support •Identify the value proposition; make the business case •Mobilize leadership; communicating to create awareness •Identify obstacles in company environment (culture, systems) •Design strategy to overcome obstacles, support communities

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