Presentation10 tips for leading communities10 tips for leading communities

Stan GarfieldJuly 2011

tips for leading communitiestips for leading communities

1. Carefully choose the community topic

• Make ‘em SMILE1. Subject: A specialty to learn and/or collaborate about 2. Members: People interested in the subject3. Interaction: Meetings, calls, and discussions4. Leaders: People passionate about the subject who are dedicated to

creating, building, and sustaining a community5. Enthusiasm: Motivation to engage and spend time collaborating and/or

learning about the subject

2

• Avoid redundancyo Narrowing either by geography or function should be discouragedo Local chapters can be created as subsets of larger communitieso Suggest that overlapping communities with similar topics be combined,

either directly or with one as a subset of the other• Avoid having too narrow a scopeo Start with the broadest feasible topics, and narrow down as neededo Spin off narrower sub-topics only when a high volume of discussion or

communication makes it necessaryo Challenge those with a niche topic to prove that it warrants its own

communityCommunities of Practice

Carefully choose the community topic

ubject: A specialty to learn and/or collaborate about embers: People interested in the subject

nteraction: Meetings, calls, and discussionseaders: People passionate about the subject who are dedicated to

creating, building, and sustaining a communitynthusiasm: Motivation to engage and spend time collaborating and/or

Narrowing either by geography or function should be discouragedLocal chapters can be created as subsets of larger communitiesSuggest that overlapping communities with similar topics be combined, either directly or with one as a subset of the other

Start with the broadest feasible topics, and narrow down as neededtopics only when a high volume of discussion or

Challenge those with a niche topic to prove that it warrants its own

2. Publicize1. Look for all existing distribution lists of people

interested in your community’s topic – use these lists to invite people to join your community

2. Look for related communities, calls, and sites you can use to promote your community – ask permission to do so, and then post, present, or send a brief invitation

3. Ask well-connected people to forward your announcement memo to their distribution lists, social networks, and communities

4. Write and submit articles to existing newsletters that reach your target audience

5. Use social networking tools such as microblogging to

3 Communities of Practice

5. Use social networking tools such as microblogging to inform possible members about your community

6. Ask the leaders of relevant organizations to send a one-time message to all of their people

7. Ensure that your community is included in the master community directory

8. Request that links to your community site be added on all relevant web sites

9. Offer an incentive to join, e.g., a member will be chosen at random or the 100th member will receive an iPad or equivalent gift

10. Search personal profiles for people with relevant interests and/or expertise, and invite them to join

use these lists

Look for related communities, calls, and sites you can ask permission to

announcement memo to their distribution lists, social

Write and submit articles to existing newsletters that

Use social networking tools such as microblogging to Use social networking tools such as microblogging to inform possible members about your communityAsk the leaders of relevant organizations to send a

Ensure that your community is included in the master

Request that links to your community site be added

Offer an incentive to join, e.g., a member will be chosen at random or the 100th member will receive

Search personal profiles for people with relevant interests and/or expertise, and invite them to join

3. Increase membership• Communities need a critical mass of members

o You usually need at least 50 memberso 100 is a better targeto Only about 10% of the members will be active

• Invite people to join who are part of existing networkso Existing teams that practice in the community's specialtyo Existing distribution lists of people interested in the topico Use Social Network Analysis to identify people who may

4

o Use Social Network Analysis to identify people who may not be part of a formal community

• Regularly suggest to those with questions or interest in your topic that theyo Join your communityo Use its tools

• Attract members by word of moutho Create communities for which potential members want to

be included in discussions, meetings, and other interactions

o Make it so they don't want to miss out on what is going onCommunities of Practice

Communities need a critical mass of membersYou usually need at least 50 members

Only about 10% of the members will be activeInvite people to join who are part of existing networks

Existing teams that practice in the community's specialtyExisting distribution lists of people interested in the topicUse Social Network Analysis to identify people who may Use Social Network Analysis to identify people who may not be part of a formal community

Regularly suggest to those with questions or interest in your

Create communities for which potential members want to be included in discussions, meetings, and other

Make it so they don't want to miss out on what is going on

4. Post and reply• Lay the foundation

o Enable posting and replying by emailo Seed the discussion board with example postso Recruit other key community members to also post and reply

• Set clear expectations for the community threaded discussion boardo Members should subscribe by RSS or emailo If a member posts a question, make sure that it gets a

response within 48 hourso If your community has a regular call, leverage the discussion

board as a means of continuing the conversation, or providing resources covered on the call

5

providing resources covered on the call• Set a calendar reminder to post every week

o Summary of a community evento Useful link – save these in a list and share one each weeko Thought-provoking topic to stimulate discussion

• Redirect relevant discussions taking place ino If questions are asked via email that the entire community

can benefit from, ask that the requestor post in the discussion board and reply there

o Email exchangeso Distribution listso Other collaboration channels such as microblogs

Communities of Practice

Seed the discussion board with example postsRecruit other key community members to also post and reply

Set clear expectations for the community threaded discussion

Members should subscribe by RSS or emailIf a member posts a question, make sure that it gets a

If your community has a regular call, leverage the discussion board as a means of continuing the conversation, or

save these in a list and share one each weekprovoking topic to stimulate discussion

If questions are asked via email that the entire community can benefit from, ask that the requestor post in the

Other collaboration channels such as microblogs

5. Use blog, newsletter, wiki

• Blog – chronological archiveo Announcementso Newsletterso Recurring communications which lend

themselves to lists and archives • Newsletter – one page, every month

o Stay in communication with memberso Remind about calls

6

o Remind about callso Link to key information – reuse content

already produced§ Recent discussion board threads§ Blog posts of interest § Recently-edited wiki pages

• Wiki – collaborative editingo Meeting agendao Position papero Self-maintained list of resourcesCommunities of Practice

Recurring communications which lend

Stay in communication with members

reuse content

Recent discussion board threads

6. Schedule and host events• Types

o Regular conference callso Occasional face-to-face meetingso Training sessions

• Purposeo stay connectedo share progresso reuse good ideaso collaborate on common needs

7

• Activitieso Share an idea, tip, trick, technique, proven practice, or insighto Request feedback on a presentation, document, web site, idea, program, or problemo Lead a discussion on any topic of interesto Provide an update on a project, program, initiative, or organizationo Speaker (community member or invited guest)

• Ideaso Themed-call, where multiple speakers discuss the same subjecto Post agenda ahead of time using events calendar, agenda pages, uploaded presentationso Send reminder messageo Prime the pump prior to the call by asking others to ask questions or share their thoughtsCommunities of Practice

Share an idea, tip, trick, technique, proven practice, or insightRequest feedback on a presentation, document, web site, idea, program, or problem

Provide an update on a project, program, initiative, or organizationSpeaker (community member or invited guest)

call, where multiple speakers discuss the same subjectPost agenda ahead of time using events calendar, agenda pages, uploaded presentations

Prime the pump prior to the call by asking others to ask questions or share their thoughts

7. Provide useful content

• Review and refresh content on a regular basis• Communicate changes in the newsletter• Solicit content contributions from your membership

o You don’t have to produce all of the content yourselfo Let members know specifically what is neededo Recognize contributors publicly in the newslettero Ask for content submissions to:

8

o Ask for content submissions to:§ Newsletter§ Blog§ Wiki§ Site§ Discussion board

Communities of Practice

Review and refresh content on a regular basisCommunicate changes in the newsletterSolicit content contributions from your membership

You don’t have to produce all of the content yourselfLet members know specifically what is neededRecognize contributors publicly in the newsletterAsk for content submissions to:Ask for content submissions to:

8. Tell members how they should participate

• Become a SPACE cowboy1. Subscribe: Get email or RSS and regularly read a threaded

discussion board2. Post: Start a new thread or reply in a threaded discussion board3. Attend: Participate in community events4. Contribute: Submit content to the community newsletter, blog,

wiki, or site

9

5. Engage: Ask a question, make a comment, or give a presentation

Communities of Practice

8. Tell members how they should participate

ubscribe: Get email or RSS and regularly read a threaded

ost: Start a new thread or reply in a threaded discussion boardttend: Participate in community eventsontribute: Submit content to the community newsletter, blog,

ngage: Ask a question, make a comment, or give a

9. Set goals and measure progress• Go Green!

1. At least one discussion board post, reply, and new thread per week2. At least one newsletter or blog post per month3. At least one conference call, webinar, or face4. At least 50 members and increasing over time5. At least 10 members participating in each event

10 Communities of Practice

9. Set goals and measure progress

At least one discussion board post, reply, and new thread per weekAt least one newsletter or blog post per monthAt least one conference call, webinar, or face-to-face meeting per quarterAt least 50 members and increasing over timeAt least 10 members participating in each event

10. Solicit, find, and publicize success stories• Solicit from community members• Mine discussion threads• Publicize in the blog and newsletter

1. Testimonials by community members on the value of participation 2. Stories about the usefulness of the community 3. Posts thanking other members for their help

11 Communities of Practice

10. Solicit, find, and publicize success stories

Testimonials by community members on the value of participation Stories about the usefulness of the community Posts thanking other members for their help

As used in this presentation, ‘Deloitte’ means Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member firms.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, and its network of member firms, each of which isindependent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member firms.

This publication is for internal distribution and use only among personnel of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, its member firms, andDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu, its member firms, and its and their affiliates shall not be responsible for any loss whatsoever susrelies on this publication.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member

This publication is for internal distribution and use only among personnel of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, its member firms, and its and their affiliates. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, its member firms, and its and their affiliates shall not be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained by any person who