Explore the concept of communities of practice and how they are a vital component for agile organizations. From providing tactical support in issue resolution, to being stewards of knowledge across vast enterprises, and even helping create support for the larger organizational change, communities of practice are a vital component in improving organizational agility.

1. Beyond Functional Silos
With Communities of
Practice
Brian Bozzuto
&
Dennis Stevens

2. Our Journey

3. 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?

4. Two Early Examples
Chrysler Xerox
1988, Chrysler re- Initially started as
organized from a informal gatherings
functional hierarchy to among field
one structured around technicians
product lines
Eventually grew to an
“Tech clubs” were online database and
originally informal forum of experiences,
groups of engineers knowledge, and
around a given domain problem resolutions
(i.e. brakes)

5. Definition of a Community of
Practice
Domain Practice Community
• A common purpose • People actively • A social network of
and experience working in the domain people
looking to share and
get support

6. Comparing Organizational
Structures
Functional Center of Community
Silo Excellence of Practice
Structured Informal Peer
Formal Hierarchy
Department Groups
People working in Abstract knowledge People working in
Domain on topic Domain
Goal is Business Goal is technical Goal is knowledge
Outcomes mastery acquisition
People join based People join based
Members self-select
on title / position on a job or expertise

7. Differing Levels of
Participation
Coordinator
Core Group
Active
Peripheral

8. Community Infrastructure
Virtual Face to Face
Discussion boards & Brown bag lunches
Email Off site meetings
Wikis & Activity Feeds Regularly scheduled
forums
Webinars Community Vision and
Coordination Meetings Planning
You most likely want a blend of different mediums to
compliment the diversity of people in your
community

9. 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

10. The Uses of Communities
of Practice
Some Case Studies

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Starting a Community of
Practice
Some Case Studies

15. 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

16. Community Canvas Example
Key Key Activities: Value Prop.: Relationships Member
Partnerships: • How will the • WIFM? (May : Segments:
• What people or community vary by • How are people • PMI Members
groups are interact? member) related? looking to learn
external to the • What will they • What can this • Formal / more about
community but do? offer, that other Informal? Agile
of paramount avenues can’t? • Boss, Peer,
value? Other?
Key Channels:
Resources: • How will people
• What resources interact?
are available to
be brought to
bear?
Cost Structure: Revenue (Value) Streams:
• What is the cost of this community both financial • What value are people getting out of being part of
and non-financial? this community?
• How much does a community member pay (in • What value does the organization get by
time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a supporting this community?
part of this community?

17. Community Canvas Example
Key Key Activities: Value Prop.: Relationships Member
Partnerships: • How will the • WIFM? (May : Segments:
• What people or community vary by • How are people • PMI Members
groups are interact? member) related? looking to learn
external to the • What will they • What can this • Formal / more about
community but do? offer, that other Informal? Agile
of paramount avenues can’t? • Boss, Peer,
value? Other?
Key Domain Channels:
Resources: • How will people
• What resources interact?
are available to
be brought to
bear?
Cost Structure: Revenue (Value) Streams:
• What is the cost of this community both financial • What value are people getting out of being part of
and non-financial? this community?
• How much does a community member pay (in • What value does the organization get by
time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a supporting this community?
part of this community?

18. Community Canvas Example
Key Key Activities: Value Prop.: Relationships Member
Partnerships: • How will the • WIFM? (May : Segments:
• What people or community vary by • How are people • PMI Members
groups are interact? member) related? looking to learn
external to the • What will they • What can this • Formal / more about
community but do? offer, that other Informal? Agile
of paramount avenues can’t? • Boss, Peer,
value? Other?
Practice Key Channels:
Resources: • How will people
• What resources interact?
are available to
be brought to
bear?
Cost Structure: Revenue (Value) Streams:
• What is the cost of this community both financial • What value are people getting out of being part of
and non-financial? this community?
• How much does a community member pay (in • What value does the organization get by
time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a supporting this community?
part of this community?

19. Community Canvas Example
Key Key Activities: Value Prop.: Relationships Member
Partnerships: • How will the • WIFM? (May : Segments:
• What people or community vary by • How are people • PMI Members
groups are interact? member) related? looking to learn
external to the • What will they • What can this • Formal / more about
community but do? offer, that other Informal? Agile
of paramount avenues can’t? • Boss, Peer,
value? Other?
Key Channels: Community
Resources: • How will people
• What resources interact?
are available to
be brought to
bear?
Cost Structure: Revenue (Value) Streams:
• What is the cost of this community both financial • What value are people getting out of being part of
and non-financial? this community?
• How much does a community member pay (in • What value does the organization get by
time, frustration, distraction, etc.) in order to be a supporting this community?
part of this community?

20. Community Canvas Example -
Key
PMI Key Activities: Value Prop.: Relationships Member
Partnerships: • Regular • Experts – : Segments:
• Agile Alliance webinars opportunity to • Group of Domain – PMI
• Scrum Alliance • Manage PMI show their skills committed members looking to
• Sponsors relationship & get business volunteers apply Agile practice
• PMI-ACP Group • Volunteer teams • Practitioners – • Most members in their work
pursuing new build network, don’t have • Experts
initiatives get experience established • Practitioners
• New to Agile – relationships • New to Agile
get support and
Key trusted Channels:
Resources: information • Webinars
• New volunteers • Online Site
(burn out) • Emails
• Web Platform • Conferences
• Webinar
Platform
Cost Structure: Revenue (Value) Streams:
• Cost of web presence • Increased retention of PMI Members (difficult to
• Travel to conferences measure)
• Sponsorship revenue

21. Key Questions to
Jumpstart Your Community
What makes this a clear community?
How can the community deliver value now?
Who can help you build and sustain this?

22. Thank You!
Brian Bozzuto Dennis Stevens
bbozzuto@bigvisible.comdennis@leadingagile.c
BigVisible om
Leading Agile
Additional Resources
http://www.ewenger.com
http://wenger-trayner.com