Practice Makes Perfect

Drew Pontikis spoke about Leading Communities of Practice at Cambridge Agile Exchange tonight. Some might think it controversial that a CoP should have a leader, but it's one of the four things that Drew thinks are required, along with regularity, a purpose, and the investment of (at least) time.

Crucially, though, note that it's leadership rather than management, that Drew wants for a CoP. His own experience is that trying too hard to force things, direct behaviour, or control the structure or content of the group will lead to failure. He told the story of a team where management made CoP attendance mandatory and how awful it was to be interacting with a group who largely would rather be somewhere else.

Leadership in a CoP should keep the group grounded during the early stages when motivation is high and motivated during the inevitable downturn in enthusiasm that will come. The leader is a peer with knowledge, respect, and integrity, and also with contacts and the ability to act as a catalyst to enable others.

A leader should also be ready to step back from heavy involvement in a CoP when it's clear that they are no longer needed, and shouldn't be discouraged when the group inevitably winds down or changes direction. Ideally that will be because whatever need caused it to start has been met.

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