beyond functional silos with communities of practice
DESCRIPTION
Explore the concept of communities of practice and how they are a vital component for agile organizations. From providing tactical support in issue resolution, to being stewards of knowledge across vast enterprises, and even helping create support for the larger organizational change, communities of practice are a vital component in improving organizational agility.TRANSCRIPT
Beyond Functional Silos With Communities of Practice
Brian Bozzuto&
Dennis Stevens
Our Journey
What We’re Going to Talk About…
What is a Community of Practice?
Why Would You Use A Community of Practice?
How Would you Go About Starting a Community of Practice?
Two Early ExamplesChrysler
1988, Chrysler re-organized from a functional hierarchy to one structured around product lines
“Tech clubs” were originally informal groups of engineers around a given domain (i.e. brakes)
Xerox
Initially started as informal gatherings among field technicians
Eventually grew to an online database and forum of experiences, knowledge, and problem resolutions
Definition of a Community of Practice
Domain• A common purpose and experience
Practice• People actively working in the domain looking to share and get support
Community• A social network of people
Comparing Organizational
StructuresFunctiona
l SiloFormal Hierarchy
People working in Domain
Goal is Business Outcomes
People join based on title /
position
Center of Excellenc
eStructured
Department
Abstract knowledge on
topic
Goal is technical mastery
People join based on a job
or expertise
Community of
PracticeInformal Peer
Groups
People working in Domain
Goal is knowledge acquisition
Members self-select
Differing Levels of Participation
Coordinator
Core Group
Active
Peripheral
Community Infrastructure
Virtual
Discussion boards & Email
Wikis & Activity Feeds
Webinars
Coordination Meetings
Face to Face
Brown bag lunches
Off site meetings
Regularly scheduled forums
Community Vision and Planning
You most likely want a blend of different mediums to compliment the diversity of
people in your community
Formality of Communities
Unrecognized – tacit community, members not even aware
Bootlegged – small community operating unbeknownst to most in the organization
Legitimized – officially recognized by the organization
Supported – supported materially by the organization
Institutionalized – built into the processes of the organization
The Uses of Communities of PracticeSome Case Studies
Project Management Institute
“Deliver Value Now”Domain: Helping project managers thrive using agile techniques
Community: 16,000 PMI members who have joined the community world wide
Practice:• Experience reports• Internal agile projects• Online content• Presence at
conferences
Various Organizations Implementing Agile
“Establish a Shared Vision & Make Meaning”Domain: Helping Scrum Masters figure out their role and how to be effective
Community: ScrumMasters and other interested members of Agile teams
Practice:• Joint problem solving• Research projects• Experience sharing• Peer coaching• Traveling facilitation
Transformation Teams“Be Open to Evolution Over Time”
Domain: Management learning their role as facilitators of change and mentors
Community: Functional Managers, Subject Matter Experts, and interested members from teams
Practice:• Assess impediments• Provide coordinated
coaching and support• Share change strategies,
success and failures• Explore
interdependencies between functional silos
Starting a Community of PracticeSome Case Studies
Path to Convening a Community
Engage potential members
Establish a shared vision
Recruit a core group of active members and establish the supporting infrastructure
Find a fast path to deliver value
Design the community to adapt to emerging needs
Community Canvas ExampleKey Partnerships:• What people
or groups are external to the community but of paramount value?
Key Activities:• How will the
community interact?
• What will they do?
Value Prop.:• WIFM? (May
vary by member)
• What can this offer, that other avenues can’t?
Relationships:• How are
people related?
• Formal / Informal?
• Boss, Peer, Other?
Member Segments:• PMI Members
looking to learn more about Agile
Key Resources:• What
resources are available to be brought to bear?
Channels:• How will
people interact?
Cost Structure:• What is the cost of this community both
financial and non-financial?• How much does a community member pay
(in time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a part of this community?
Revenue (Value) Streams:• What value are people getting out of being
part of this community?• What value does the organization get by
supporting this community?
Community Canvas ExampleKey Partnerships:• What people
or groups are external to the community but of paramount value?
Key Activities:• How will the
community interact?
• What will they do?
Value Prop.:• WIFM? (May
vary by member)
• What can this offer, that other avenues can’t?
Relationships:• How are
people related?
• Formal / Informal?
• Boss, Peer, Other?
Member Segments:• PMI Members
looking to learn more about Agile
Key Resources:• What
resources are available to be brought to bear?
Channels:• How will
people interact?
Cost Structure:• What is the cost of this community both
financial and non-financial?• How much does a community member pay
(in time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a part of this community?
Revenue (Value) Streams:• What value are people getting out of being
part of this community?• What value does the organization get by
supporting this community?
Domain
Community Canvas ExampleKey Partnerships:• What people
or groups are external to the community but of paramount value?
Key Activities:• How will the
community interact?
• What will they do?
Value Prop.:• WIFM? (May
vary by member)
• What can this offer, that other avenues can’t?
Relationships:• How are
people related?
• Formal / Informal?
• Boss, Peer, Other?
Member Segments:• PMI Members
looking to learn more about Agile
Key Resources:• What
resources are available to be brought to bear?
Channels:• How will
people interact?
Cost Structure:• What is the cost of this community both
financial and non-financial?• How much does a community member pay
(in time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a part of this community?
Revenue (Value) Streams:• What value are people getting out of being
part of this community?• What value does the organization get by
supporting this community?
Practice
Community Canvas ExampleKey Partnerships:• What people
or groups are external to the community but of paramount value?
Key Activities:• How will the
community interact?
• What will they do?
Value Prop.:• WIFM? (May
vary by member)
• What can this offer, that other avenues can’t?
Relationships:• How are
people related?
• Formal / Informal?
• Boss, Peer, Other?
Member Segments:• PMI Members
looking to learn more about Agile
Key Resources:• What
resources are available to be brought to bear?
Channels:• How will
people interact?
Cost Structure:• What is the cost of this community both
financial and non-financial?• How much does a community member pay
(in time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a part of this community?
Revenue (Value) Streams:• What value are people getting out of being
part of this community?• What value does the organization get by
supporting this community?
Community
Community Canvas Example - PMIKey
Partnerships:• Agile Alliance• Scrum
Alliance• Sponsors• PMI-ACP
Group
Key Activities:• Regular
webinars• Manage PMI
relationship• Volunteer
teams pursuing new initiatives
Value Prop.:• Experts –
opportunity to show their skills & get business
• Practitioners – build network, get experience
• New to Agile – get support and trusted information
Relationships:• Group of
committed volunteers
• Most members don’t have established relationships
Member Segments:Domain – PMI members looking to apply Agile practice in their work• Experts• Practitioners• New to Agile
Key Resources:• New
volunteers (burn out)
• Web Platform• Webinar
Platform
Channels:• Webinars• Online Site• Emails• Conferences
Cost Structure:• Cost of web presence• Travel to conferences
Revenue (Value) Streams:• Increased retention of PMI Members
(difficult to measure)• Sponsorship revenue
Key Questions to Jumpstart Your
CommunityWhat makes this a clear community?
How can the community deliver value now?
Who can help you build and sustain this?
Thank You!Brian Bozzuto
BigVisible
Additional Resources
http://www.ewenger.com
http://wenger-trayner.com
Dennis Stevens
Leading Agile