Never has leadership of geographically dispersed communities been so critical. Flex-office and teleworking have become the new norm. This session discusses real-world examples of companies that have set up virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) to enable experts to innovate, collaborate, and leverage their knowledge remotely. Hear about the challenges, solutions, and tools as well as lessons learned so that you can improve collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation in your organization. KMWorld Connect - 19 November 2020 Track C401

1. Leading Remote
Communities:
Collaborative Innovation
19 November 2020
Louis-Pierre Guillaume
Foster Digital Transformation and Collaborative
Innovation, to enhance the Value of Knowledge
www.amallte.com

2. Agenda
|2.
1. Community? What for?
2. Who am I?
3. 2 use case of VCoP
4. Three main drivers for success

3. What brings us here today
|3.
1. The need to keep innovating despite today’s constrains
2. The wish to hear lessons learned from innovation communities
3. The necessity to lead remotely
4. The lack of available time
5. The cultural roadblocks
6. The usage of collaborative tools
7. The difficulty to valorize
8. The risk of communitarianism

4. |4.
The Community of
Practice (CoP)
Major player
1. Develop strategic and innovative
knowledge
2. Optimize operational processes.
Formalize best practices
3. Develop competencies about a given
practice

5. Professional communities in the knowledge
economy
|5.
The community: collective of mutual trust
Members interact for the common good of all and for the good of each.
• Purpose: Harness the power of collaboration between distinct entities.
• Working method: Organize and ritualize knowledge exchanges
• Mission: Enhance the value of the knowledge exchanged or created, by
capitalizing
Community leadership is becoming a key competency of the 21st century
manager.

6. "Communities" are everywhere
|6.
• All the digital collaboration tools offer "communities in one click”
…
• “Communities” is used instead of “BU” or “support function”
• Digital transformation programs leverage ambassadors' “networks”
A community is neither an op. team, nor a project team, nor a tool

7. Sense of urgency
|7.
• The organization siloes do not facilitate innovation
• The NIH syndrome prevents from sharing best practices
• The constraints of physical distancing reduce on-site meeting

8. Louis-Pierre GUILLAUME
|8.
• A conviction:
− Sharing and reusing knowledge only takes place in
an environment of trust,
− Trust between people only exists within
communities.
• Foster digital transformation and collaborative
innovation, to enhance the value of knowledge
• 25 years of practice in knowledge management and
digital transformation
• Consultant, Speaker, Trainer, Author

9. |9.
Communities?
How could communities
help innovation in your
organization?
One idea = One message
Use the CHAT

10. What is at stake ?
|10.
1. Supporting innovation, by fostering informal networks allowing cross-
fertilization of new ideas and knowledge.
2. Optimize collective efficiency, productivity,
production, by reusing existing knowledge.
3. Valuing intellectual capital, and in particular the personal development of men
and women, by putting them in a learning organization

11. Case 1. To position in innovative markets
|11.
• Context : 17 countries, 80000 employees
• Issue : Enable the company to win contracts in innovative and strategic markets

12. Case 1. To position on innovative markets
|12.
• Solutions :
− Regroup different BU/functions: operation, sales, innovation …
− Create a piloted community of practice. 200 members.
− Use the internal social network
• Benefits:
− Meet in a common space to share or search for information
− Improve competencies
− Recognize successes, learn from failures
• Point of attention :
− Rigor and preparation (webinars…)

13. Case 2. Boost innovation with suppliers
|13.
• Context : R&D and purchasing departments in >10 countries
• Issue : Enabling a sustainable portfolio for plastic materials in the coming years

14. Case 2. Boost innovation with suppliers
|14.
• Solutions:
− Open to anyone from R&D and Purchasing, and beyond
− Create a piloted community of practice. 120 members
− Use the internal social network
• Benefits:
− Provide a strategic vision on relevant topics to be able to answer to tomorrow’s stakes
− Secure up coming risks and contribute to face environmental regulations and their impact
on raw material market
• Points of attention:
− Manage two cultures => two community leaders
− Ritualize knowledge exchange

15. Three main drivers for success
|15.
1. Rethink the organization culture to promote cross-functional interaction
2. Create et lead virtual Communities of practice (VCoP)
3. Use modern social collaborative tools

16. To know more
|16.
Éditions EMS, 2017
International Conference on Technical
Communication: Transforming
Knowledge, Université Diderot, 10/2019
Future of work – the digital
revolution BFM TV, 2018
Collaborative innovation: How to
lead virtual communities
08/2020
www.amallte.com louis-pierre.guillaume@amallte.com
Afraid of engagement?
Towards an
understanding of
engagement in virtual
communities of
practice, 04/2020