Agile Coaches' Corner Communities of Practice with Quincy Jordan
Joining Dan Neumann today is one of his AgileThought colleagues, Quincy Jordan.
Quincy is a Principal Transformation Consultant and has been with AgileThought for about one year now. Previous to that, he has served as a Principal Consultant and Agile Coach at SCRUMstudy.com for over six years. Quincy’s mission is to help companies and people who are ineffective in their own mission by assisting them in transforming from what they are to what they desire to be.
In today’s episode, Quincy explains what exactly a community or practice is, what it can be used for, and why it can be so beneficial to an organization. He also gives his tips on how to effectively use a community of practice as well as how to get it started and incentivize others to show up.
Key Takeaways
- What is a community of practice?
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- A group or body of individuals that have a common interest or practice
- As a group, they come together to finetune their craft
- Can be formal or informal
- It is not mandatory and is open to anyone (you only need an interest to show up)
- What can communities of practice be used for?
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- A mechanism for transformation within a company or organization
- Knowledge transfer across teams
- Improve and transform the culture
- Bring teams together and improve communication throughout an organization
- Quincy’s tips on how to effectively use a community of practice:
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- Invite in guest speakers from another community of practice
- It will only be as effective as it is supported (a sponsor or team is key)
- How to get a community started and incentivize others to show up:
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- Food — seriously!
- Led by a team (also known as “champions”); not an individual
- As a “champion,” you gain high visibility within the organization
- Be conscious of timing — make it convenient for people to show up
- Get a sponsor on board to help with some of the organizational hurdles
- Find a suitable location
- Establish a clear purpose (every time the community meets)
Key Learnings:
- Lead your community of practice as a team; not an individual
- Use your community or practice as a mechanism for transformation
- Remember that it can only be as effective as it is supported, so be sure to find a sponsor and establish a core team of support
- Establish a clear purpose at the beginning of every “meeting” to keep the goal in mind
Mentioned in this Episode:
A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge, by SCRUMstudy
Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling, by Edgar H. Schein
Quincy Jordan’s Book Pick
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