Sustaining communities of practice
Ernst & Young recognized that most of the challenges associated with maintaining its CoPs were culturally based. It remains a challenge for individuals to recognize that participation in communities should be integrated into their daily activities. Busy professionals often neglect knowledge sharing simply because they think they do not have time. Also, individuals do not always have the ability to recognize what is appropriate to share. That can lead to the submission of content that lacks true value to the firm. Conversely, others may not understand that they have to continually provide input and contribute to the environment for the content to remain useful.
Over time, the Ernst & Young Center for Business Knowledge has overcome those challenges by realigning its processes to provide more education and a defined content submission and validation process for most communities. The audit side, for example, has a robust submission process that enables individuals to submit content for databases. Subject matter experts are available to validate content.
The FHWA is intentionally making its CoPs a dynamic source for knowledge on a variety of topics important to its employees and partners, thereby integrating them into work processes. Each community focuses on specific topics related to a particular office and provides multiple channels by which members can find the information they need quickly. FHWA has learned (and integrated into its chartering process) that KM office and community leaders should identify those specific topic areas that have highest relevancy in each office, as well as the best way to support and promote them to engage members and the agency. The community leaders also determine the best methods for raising awareness of the availability of those resources, leveraging everything from desktop icons that allow for quick access to the community, to push mechanisms that make people aware of new topics and questions posted to the community, to brochures, flyers, etc.
Fluor's KM team, based on early successes with some of its communities, defined four elements of success that, if executed properly, increase the business value generated by the knowledge community.
- Plan for performance and re-evaluate annually.
- Integrate KM within work processes of community members.
- Engage community membership by integrating work processes and communication plans.
- Collaborate across community boundaries.
The sustained performance phase of Fluor's KM journey began in 2002 and continues today. Characteristics of that phase include: KM becoming part of the company culture, strong community sponsorship, more client recognition of the value of CoPs, KM work processes and innovations leveraged across CoPs, a more visible emphasis on people, and community leadership transitions (to ensure a smooth transition between leaders so community performance will not drop).
Sustenance
APQC's research has shown that effective communities require people resources, time, IT support and facilitation. Periodic assessment of alignment with business goals will help communities remain vibrant, attractive to members and important to the business. However, assessing alignment with goals will not, by itself, promote and sustain activity and output. Partner organizations intentionally market, communicate and support communities for the duration of their life span. Additionally, close tracking of community-specific measures and annual health assessments make it possible for organizations to sustain community activity and understand when it is appropriate to help communities evolve. Used together, these tools should help an organization's core KM team help its community leaders and members work together more effectively, efficiently and happily.
Wesley Vestal is the KM practice leader and a senior KM consultant for the KM practice area at
APQC, e-mail wvestal@apqc.org. This report also includes insights from APQC project manager Darcy Lemons and CoP leader Farida Hasanali.