Evaluate Your Communities: 10 Traits of Successful CoPs
The following is a short diagnostic that can be used to evaluate the design and implementation of communities of practice. The questions are based on 10 traits of successful CoPs that APQC has found to be the most important.
Trait No. 1
Related Questions
· What value does belonging to and participating in the CoP have for an individual?
· What value does it bring my department if one of my staff takes time to participate?
Trait No. 2
A successful CoP has a dedicated, skilled facilitator or leader.
Related Questions
· Does the CoP leader have the skills to facilitate an organic, outside-the-lines responsibility group?
· Does the CoP leader have a vision for moving the CoP forward?
Trait No. 3
A successful CoP has a coherent, comprehensive knowledge map for its core content.
Related Questions
· Does the group call on frequently used content, topics, or knowledge that should be pulled into one shared space?
· Do all members of the community understand who the sources and recipients of knowledge are within the community?
Trait No. 4
A successful CoP has an outlined, easy-to-follow knowledge sharing process.
Related Questions
· Do people know how, what, and when to share?
· Are community members able to access and reuse knowledge from others or a shared space easily?
Trait No. 5
A successful CoP has an appropriate technology vehicle to facilitate knowledge exchange, knowledge retrieval, and collaboration.
Related Questions
· Does the technology include a repository of community content and/or knowledge?
· Is the technology supported by the organization's IT group?
· Does the technology meet the needs of the user group--in other words, did they have input into the look, feel, and content?
Trait No. 6
A successful CoP has communication and training plans for members and others outside the community.
Related Questions
· Do existing community members (and prospective members) understand why they should participate? Are they aware of "success stories" and the mechanics of the CoP?
· Is there a self-service training module or short program that shows individuals how to share and find knowledge?
Trait No. 7
A successful CoP has an updated, dynamic roster of CoP members.
Related Questions
· Are CoP members able to access others who share their interests quickly and easily?
· Do members have tools that assist with rapid, one-to-many communication?
Trait No. 8
A successful CoP has several key metrics of success to show business results.
Related Questions
· Does the CoP have a documented measurement system to demonstrate how it is meeting its business value proposition?
· Is there a plan for collecting, reviewing, sharing, and validating metrics?
Trait No. 9
A successful CoP has a recognition plan for participants.
Related Questions
· Do participants understand "what's in it for them?"
· Is the recognition scheme built into the HR process and part of the development or evaluation process?
Trait No. 10
A successful CoP has an agenda of critical topics to cover during the first three to six months of its existence.
Related Questions
· Do community leaders and members have "hot problems" to solve early in the life cycle?
· Are there sufficient face-to-face or voice-to-voice meetings for members within six months of launch?
· Are there enough actions and activities to familiarize the group with working together to solve problems?