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Communities & Technology workshop reporting on a study of 9 coach/coachee pairs aiming to develop leaders of communities of practice
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Coaching community leaders on community cultivation and technology integration
Workshop
John Smith, Lauren Klein and Theodora FitzsimmonsCommunities and Technology, 3rd International Conference
Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan
June 28, 2007
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Learning Alliances
Today’s Workshop AgendaToday’s Workshop Agenda
Introductions Review our study
context process findings
Conduct Coach-Coachee demonstration Workshop exercise Discussion
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Learning Alliances
Our Study Our Study
Grew out of individual practice John Smith, Lauren Klein re-connected Fall ‘06 Theodora Fitzsimmons got involved Spring ’07 Fundamental assumptions at CPsquare
Communities of practice matter Leadership matters Practice – doing something – matters
Our question: How do community leaders become competent?
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Learning Alliances
The Purpose of the StudyThe Purpose of the Study
Explore learning practices around leader development Learning in practice, in service of practice CoP context (both theory and application)
Through conversations with other coaches and their coachees (or mentors or members)
Look for common elements Fishing trip (what doesn't exist?) Look for trends Look for evidence of success and barriers to success Understand the role of technology in the coaching/mentoring
relationship
Articulating what we already knew: our assumptions
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Learning Alliances
Assumptions: About Community LeadershipAssumptions: About Community Leadership
Community leadership embedded in a social setting Typically: volunteers leading volunteers Leadership involves engagement with members Relationships often mediated through technology Personal characteristics of leaders
Passion as a community bond that leaders must have Professional maturity
Kinds of influence available to leaders Minimal positional authority Self as instrument: setting an example Admin rights on a software platform Focus beyond the self Extended network
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Learning Alliances
Assumptions: False Friends of Community LeadershipAssumptions: False Friends of Community Leadership
Developing a CoP is like “any other project” Community life == Postings or volume Over-reliance on theory or cookbooks
Community stages Cookie cutter / checklist compliance
It's “all about technology” “Learning is commonplace”, so will take care of
itself Learning is what happens in a classroom I’m the SME and don’t need any consultant to
help me
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Learning Alliances
Assumptions: CoP Theory & Leadership ChallengesAssumptions: CoP Theory & Leadership Challenges
Legitimate peripheral participation frames coaching & false friends
Community, Practice, Domain model frames Domain
Supported CoPs are common where topics are complex, subtle, or new Competence in the domain determines status in the community
Community Global membership of communities creates challenges for leaders Diverse languages, cultures, and organizational affiliations add
complexity Creating useful connections within a community can be hard work Cultivating the next generation of leaders needs to be part of ongoing
work of the community Practice (repertoire)
Making a collective practice visible at a distance can be a challenge Technology plays an enabling and a complicating role
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Learning Alliances
Assumptions: Improvisational nature of practiceAssumptions: Improvisational nature of practice
Improvisation is key Growth of leaders and communities
happens step-by-step focus on zone of proximal development
Transformation is "the norm" goals means identity
Planning is important but the unexpected may be more so In general: focus on the time dimension
Emergence Behavior and perception are situated
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Learning Alliances
Assumptions: About Coaching as a PracticeAssumptions: About Coaching as a Practice
A model relationship One-to-one helping relationship Trusted advisor & sounding board Developmental (performance-based)
A model business Business model / practice is well-established Code of ethics is established Coaching certification (General purpose) Applied to sports, management & personal development
Adapting to CoP leadership setting What are we borrowing from the existing role & trappings
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Learning Alliances
The Study Design: The InterviewsThe Study Design: The Interviews
Systematic practitioner-to-practitioner conversations Used our network to find pairs of supportive relationships Interviewed nine pairs (in separate interviews) in diverse settings John and Lauren interviewed each other as practitioners and each
other’s clients as coachees
The Interviews: Emailed questions in advance of interview to guide conference calls Calls were recorded for later data analysis Participants were assured confidentiality Conversations were structured by questions but also allowed for
wandering Notes were shared shortly after interviews
Analysis of Interviews Analyze recordings and notes for themes Using Mind Map to organize themes
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Learning Alliances
Sharing the FindingsSharing the Findings
Held a "findings" phone call with participants Gather reactions to what we found Participants who missed the call were invited to listen to
recording Comments continued through email and the blog
Project blog describes the project and holds continuing conversations
CPsquare session at some point Planning to publish something next Fall / Winter This C&T Workshop as extending the inquiry
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Learning Alliances
Findings: The relationships between our respondentsFindings: The relationships between our respondents
Relationship duration, intensitiy, & basis varied a great deal Conversations were private, behind the scenes Meetings ranged from structured to ad hoc and varied in
frequency and regularity Occasional collaboration on deliverables “Going meta" - standing back together and reflecting
Coaching and mentoring were mixed moment to moment Common technologies to support interaction
Face-to-face meetings Phone calls Email IM Web Boards
“Every technology generates new possibilities."
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Learning Alliances
Evolution of the RelationshipEvolution of the Relationship
SupporterSupporter Community Leader
Community Leader
CoPCoP
SupporterSupporter Community Leader
Community Leader
CoPCoP
Beginning of the relationship
Later in the relationship
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Learning Alliances
Findings: Seeing the actual & inventing the possibleFindings: Seeing the actual & inventing the possible
Grounding in practice (Disciplined Realism) Jointly interpreting the evidence Dealing with changing technology, membership & politics Addressing individual interests A sense of history
Passion for what could be (Cultivated Imagination) Conversations about things that don’t exist Intent behind the charter or goals Future orientation Make order out of chaos
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Learning Alliances
Findings: leaders focus alternately self and groupFindings: leaders focus alternately self and group
Passion for domain as a working basis Purposeful community leadership Alternate, reinforcing focus on self and on group
Inquiry into the self Emotional Intelligence and a hunger for continuous learning,
especially around fostering a CoP Self starter and leader; instrumental in making things happen,
such as via gathering people together Risk Taker
Inquiry into the group Technologically minded in order to learn and leverage the
technologies involved Detail oriented for event planning and project management Salesperson, Recruiter, Maven and Connector
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Learning Alliances
Findings: Coaching and Mentoring Roles Findings: Coaching and Mentoring Roles
Characteristics: Formality: a structured cycle of goal-setting,
observation, and performance assessment Front-loaded set-up: depends on negotiating
rules and terms at the beginning Rigorous: focuses on a developmental
process Formal, Standing outside the social system Coachee’s as clients
CoachingA person who supports people to achieve their goals, with goal setting, encouragement and questions.
Mentoring A person who shares expertise with less experienced individuals in order to help them advance their careers, education, or networks.
Characteristics: Informality: informal shop talk between more-
and less-experienced persons Reflection on relevant experience Share local lore, connections, and street
credibility with mentee Both in a social & political fabric Mentors may be community members Mentors may be actors in the social system,
opening doors, locating resources, etc.
Mixing or alternating roles less important than the work
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Learning Alliances
Findings: Coaching and Mentoring Spectrum Findings: Coaching and Mentoring Spectrum Coaching highlights Coaching role is familiar and programs to
organize and support it exist in many organizations
Coaches role is professionalized through training & certification processes
Process seeks to be neutral, focused on coachee's unique goals
Up-front negotiations create a useful learning platform
Limitations May lack local connections & clues Too formulaic? Assumptions It's "the method": a good coach can help
individuals with diverse goals
Mentoring highlights Informal & flexible Local Familiar: Companies institutionalize it Relationship is negotiated in an
ongoing fashion
Limitations Too idiosyncratic? Lacking permission for giving
personal feedback Assumptions A good mentee can translate from
mentor's experience to something useful
Interchangeable terms can provide a useful distinction
Coaching Mentoring
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Learning Alliances
Group
Self
Cultivated Imagination
DisciplinedRealism
CoachingMentoring
CoP Evaluation
Attendingmeetingstogether
New potential of role
Tooluse &
techniques
Leadershipskills
inventory
a friendly ear
Developing a leadership
style
Charterdevelopment
Findingsponsorship
Joint projects
Motivating
Envisioningfuture
possibilities
Interpetingpoliticalwinds
Swappingwar
stories
Lendingconfidence
“to-do”lists
Integrating all 3 dimensions:
Inspiring
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Learning Alliances
Findings: activities and outcomesFindings: activities and outcomes
Power of one-to-one conversations Part of social learning Back-channel Vygotsky: guided participation
EW's distinction between “learning with & from”:
Learning with Sounding board aspect is important Learning partner
Learning from Access to other people's experience Grist for transformation
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Learning Alliances
Reported Benefits of Supportive RelationshipsReported Benefits of Supportive Relationships
Supporters help leaders look at what they have through experienced eyes and help them see opportunities for promoting community interaction.
Using a conversational process helps to simplify, prioritize, and focus on what is important.
Practice and immediate feedback from a co-committed supporter is a building block for increased performance.
A co-committed supporter: Facilitates the new leader's ability to see both part and the whole. Presents more opportunities that the new leader may not have thought of on
his or her own. Leaders realize that they have more resources to draw upon for things they can do.
May inspire the new leader to reach new heights. As new community leaders become more secure and confident in their role, they tend to be more innovative and try new things.
New leaders are able gain more confidence in stages with less pressure.
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Learning Alliances
A coaching session modelA coaching session model
1. An evolving agenda
2. Set a regular time (may be interleaved with other contact)
3. Confirm readiness
4. Whole person “check-in”
5. Develop communication conventions such as real-time note-taking
6. Verification of notes, commitments, learning
7. Connecting conversation and practice
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Workshop ActivityWorkshop Activity
Purpose: to give participants an opportunity to experience a community coaching exchange from the perspective of a coach, coachee, and critical friend.
Directions: Form into groups of three. Conduct the activity three times so that each person has an opportunity to experience the three roles.
The coachee brings an issue related to a community of practice they lead (or to a social situation that has learning implications)
The coach responds with clarifying questions, resources, challenges or advice.
The observer listens to the conversation between coach and coachee and does not intervene in the conversation in any way.
After each person has had a turn at each role, begin a quick debrief, which we'll share afterwards:
Describe the conversation, including differences in perception between coach, coachee, observer.
Which comments are most helpful to the coachee, ones which are "Coach's" or "Mentor's" comments?
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Learning Alliances
Let’s continue the conversation…Let’s continue the conversation…
On our project blog:
http://coachcopleaders.wordpress.com/
…and, please join us for a beer between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Beggars Banquet:
http://www.beggarsbanquet.com/
Near Cowles House, Michigan State University Campus
John Smith, Lauren Klein and Theodora Fitzsimmons
will be on hand to welcome
CPsquare members, C&T attendees, and friends.
Please stop by for a chat!
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Learning Alliances
Contact InformationContact Information
John D. Smith – +1 (503) 963 [email protected]
Lauren Klein – +1 (775) [email protected]
Theodora Fitzsimmons – +1 (301) [email protected]