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
