Perhaps you have enjoyed the fruits of your CoP design & growth processes, but the initial reasons for meeting together have changed. Maybe you are meeting regularly with substantial involvement. Suddenly, a key stakeholder or resource is removed – how can your CoP adapt to new circumstances? Does your CoP need to change? Or is it time to consider retiring your CoP?
Transform members
- How do members the join, participate, lead and exit the community?
- How are new potential community leaders (official and unofficial) going to be identified, chosen, developed, and supported by the community?
In thinking ahead to sustainability, a CoP should create a plan for cycling members in and out of both the community and the community leadership roles. Be sure your group reflects on who, how and when it would like to recruit new members. If there are leadership roles, consider who, how and when new leaders will be selected. Planning ahead is essential for sustainability.
Transform your purpose
- To what extent is the community serving its intended audience and accomplishing its stated purpose and goals?
- How is success measured?
- How might it do a better job?
Your CoP may want to conduct focus groups, interview, surveys or other data collection activities to determine you have been successful. Your definition of success is unique to your group, so you will need to consider what success means. As your group grows and changes, your definition of success might change. That is why it is important to return to the elements of the CoP cycle repeatedly over time.
CoP Stories (Transform)
Focus on Facilitation Learning Community realized that many interested participants could not personally attend meetings. They created a call-in approach, coupled with recording the meetings, so all could continue to be involved remotely. This also has allowed some to facilitate meetings from afar. In 2017, it now looks like the group may significantly move in the direction of virtual meetings to support their evolving membership needs.