Deb Wallace, Ph.D. SLA 2005 Annual Conference – Toronto Leadership and Management Division

Communities of Practice: Catalysts for Change Deb Wallace, Ph.D. SLA 2005 Annual Conference – Toronto Leadership and Management Division June 8, 2005

…A problem of design Context: What are the environmental factors that influence the situation? The background. Content: What’s the meat at the heart of the discussion? The scope of information. Form: What shape with the resolution take? The solution package.

…The world we live in Influencing factors (givens): Client demands: Opportunities:

No. 1 – It’s all about change To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. Winston Churchill To change and to change for the better are two different things. German Proverb

…No. 2. – It’s all about capabilities A collection of cross-functional elements (skills, attributes, knowledge, systems, structures) that come together to create the potential for effective action. The link between strategy and performance.

Performance Collaborating Generative Capabilities Capabilities Learning Communities of Practice Strategy Teams e-learning Tools and Approaches

Key premise “The only sustainable advantage a firm has comes from what it collectively knows, how efficiently it uses what it knows, and how readily it acquires and uses new knowledge.”Davenport, T. and L. Prusak (1998).Working Knowledge. Boston: HBS, p. xv.

Key premise “All knowledge is ultimately based on experience, and narratives are the vehicle by which that experience is transmitted from person to person.” Denning, S. (2004). Squirrel Inc.: A Fable of Leadership through Storytelling. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, p. 98.

Key premise “Collaboration is the critical competency for achieving and sustaining high performance – especially in the Internet Age. It won’t be the ability to fiercely compete, but the ability to lovingly cooperate that will determine success.” Kouzes, J. M. & B.Z. Posner. (2002). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, p. 242.

Key premise Communities of practice are at the core of the organizational transformation that has already begun. They are one of the primary agents of change that will prepare organization to more successfully operate in the knowledge era, in which knowledge capital will be readily recognized as a core asset of an organization and strategies will be focused on generating that capital through learning and collaboration. (Saint-Onge and Wallace, 2003)

Take 1 – What’s a community of practice? Groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their understanding and knowledge of this area by interacting on an ongoing basis. (Wenger et al., 2002, p. 4)

Take 2 – What’s a community of practice? A group of self-governing people whose practice is aligned with strategic imperatives and is challenged to create value by generating knowledge and increasing capabilities. (Saint-Onge and Wallace, 2003)

…Characteristics Centered around a knowledge domain or practice – focused on current need Self-governed; self-managed Generate knowledge to enable their practice Support each other; sense of “community” Utilize productive inquiry for problem solving and innovation Collaborate via multiple channels

…Precursors to success Partnering mindsets and capabilities Supportive context and leadership endorsement Strong technology platform Realistic expectations for return on investment on the part of management

…Catalysts for change Build internal capabilities parallel to market factors Build generative capabilities Increase capabilities to collaborate and partner with other organizations

…Catalysts for change Leverage collaborative technology Create a new value proposition for the employee Strengthen employee/staff value proposition

…Building communities Planned, systematic approach Aligned with strategies; imperatives Executive sponsorship, organizational support Seed group of membership Dedicated resources: project management & facilitation Steering group to drive process

Community Development Process Model Phase I Establish Community Components Launch Community Define Community Project Expand Community Establish Community Sub-community Sub- community Phase II Evaluate Purpose & Direction Grow Community Checkpoint Progress & Value

…The leadership challenge Leader brings the participants together Establishes an open agenda Tells or sparks a moving story Encourages a process of sharing stories Has an action plan to capitalize on the energy generated. Denning, S. (2004). Squirrel Inc.: A Fable of Leadership through Storytelling. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

…The leadership challenge Create a climate of trust Facilitate positive interdependence Support face-to-face interactions Kouzes, J. M. & B.Z. Posner. (2002). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, p. 242.

…The information challenge in communities Tacit (connection & exchange) Making sure the right people are aware of the community support community participation Encouraging the development of connections within the community Explicit (capture & retention) Capturing and organizing information created by the community Tying external information with internal: content, quality, presentation (L. Pauloski – Dofasco)

…The role of information professionals Information provider/broker Information organizer Networker Facilitator Promoter Member (L. Pauloski – Dofasco)

…Why communities – form Social beings – collaboration and partnership Naturally inquisitive – critical thinking, problem solving, innovation Motivated to succeed – meet objectives; fulfill aspirations; embedded in situation Familiar – low resistance and effort Situated in practice – relevant, realize strategy

…Why communities – function Create capabilities Drive innovation Problem solving situated in practice Leveraged to create strategic advantage Catalysts for change

…What can I do tomorrow? Analyze: What communities am I aware of in my organization? What communities do I belong to? How do they generate capabilities? What is their value proposition? Strategize: Where could communities benefit my organization? How would they fit into existing strategies? Meet existing goals or imperatives? Operationalize: How can I be a catalyst for change in creating communities? What role could our information services play in supporting communities?

…References: print Dixon, N.M., N. Allen, T. Burgess, P. Kilner, and S. Schweitzer (2005). Company Command: Unleashing the Power of the Army Profession. West Point, NY: The Center for the Advancement of Leader Development and Organizational Learning. Kim, A. J. (2000). Community Building on the Web: Secret Strategies for Successful Online Communities. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. Saint-Onge, H. and D. Wallace. (2003). Leveraging Communities of Practice for Strategic Advantage. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann. Wenger, E., R. McDermott, and W.M. Snyder. (2002). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

…References: online Nancy White and Full Circle Associates: http://www.fullcirc.com John Smith and CP Square: http://www.learningalliances.net/CP_bib/ Mega Sites: http://virtualcommunities.start4all.com http://communities-of-practice.pagina.nl

…Contact information Deb Wallace debra.wallace@konvergeandknow.com

Deb Wallace, Ph.D. SLA 2005 Annual Conference – Toronto Leadership and Management Division