SHRM Atlanta October 2000

8/14/2019 SHRM Atlanta October 2000

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Communities ofPractice

Louis de [email protected]://www.silvercreekassoc.com

2000 Silver Creek Associates

SHRM AtlantaOctober 2000


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Communities of Practice: What Are They?

Communities of Practice are a group

of professionals, informally bound to

one another through exposure to acommon 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?

CommunitiesTeams

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

Downsizing, reengineering

Technology

New Theories about Knowledge

New Theories about Learning


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What Can they do for You?

Solve problems

Spread good ideas

Save avoidable mistakes

Produce innovation Increase individual competence

Help attract and keep good people

Develop strategic competencies

Reduce organizational fragmentation

Improve quality

Improve the quality of work lifeInitiate newcomers

Provide a home base for learning needs

Provide a harbor in times of change

Increase Customer Intimacy


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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?

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE ARE THE NATURAL WAY OFMANAGING TACIT KNOWLEDGE

Peoples heads Communities Objects in communities


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How do Communities Share and Create Knowledge?

NONE OF THIS IS NEW, BUT OFTEN IT HAPPENS INFORMALLY

(inefficiently) AND IT DOESNT HAPPEN ENOUGH

They ask for helpwhen they are stuck

They exploretopics together

They draw lessons

together from theirexperiences

They share the

ideas that have

worked for themThey warn each other of

the blind alleys they have

gone down and the

mistakes made

They record

what they learn

together

They spawn

research and

dissemination

efforts


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Different Legitimate Roles

occasional contributors

lurkers

core members

leaders


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CoP Success: Key Ingredients

People Competencies Affinities

Commitment Behaviors Diversity of

perspectives

Processes Learning conversations Storytelling Flexible communications

strategies

Purpose Shared purpose, passion Shared need Clear value potential

Fit

Enablers Technology Time Budget Support

Incentives

Leadership Community

Practice


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The Behavioral Divide *What Gets in the Way of Learning

Defensive Routines

Avoid embarrassment Dont 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, storiesMake your reasoning

transparent, contestable Invite dissenting opinionsHelp others make free,

informed decisions

Take personal responsibility forthe above

ESPOUSED THEORIES

* Chris Argyris


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The Behavioral Change Strategy

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

People believe in those learning principles

But they are unaware that they are not practicing them

TYPICALLY

SO START WITH WHAT IS THERE


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The Community Leadership Dance

Lead towards the

next level of learningDevelop external

relations

PracticeCommunity

Seek participation

Coach participants oneffective behaviors

Model sharing, learning,

participating

Harvest learningsTake lead in organizing

community events,

building trust

Manage entry

and re-entry

Weave the threads of the

conversation together


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The Role of the Senior Leadership

His/her support needed to go beyond the informallevel (budget, strategy, etc.)

Operating a cultural shift in the balance betweenprocess and results

Key role cajoling/nudging middle-management togive CoPs some space

Potentially very important role in modeling alearning culture in senior management team


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Community Development Tasks

Developing repertoire:

gradually becoming more sophisticated about what works

and what doesnt for the community.

From: Haphazard,incremental

(exchanges of tips, ad-hoc problem-

solving)

To: Pro-active, strategic

(developing learning agendas)

From:Parochial To:Boundaryless

Progressing through the learning levels:


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* Richard McDermott & Etienne Wenger

Communities of Practice:Stages of Development *

Potential

Energized

1. Discover/Prepare

Dispersing

5. Let Go/Remember

Active

3. Focus/Grow

4. Sustain/Renew

Coalescing

Maturing

2. Initiate/Incubate


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Dilemmas to be Negotiated

Alignment Self-organization

Internal motivation External motivation

Measurement 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

SHRM Atlanta October 2000

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