Communities of PracticeMark BennettLearningCollaborationmark.bennett@learningcollaboration.com

2Presentation outlineKnowledge Management / Knowledge Transfer?What are Communities of Practice (CoPs) – why are they important?What have others done?Global CoPs in practice….Where do we go from here?Questions & Answers

3See how Communities of Practice are helping Rio Tinto people share expertise and collaborate across the world (available on YouTube and from Rio Tinto website)

4Knowledge Transfer: What’s the problem?“We can always know more than we can tell, and we will always tell more than we can write down. The nature of knowledge is such that we always know, or are capable of knowing more than we have the physical time or the conceptual ability to say.I can speak in five minutes what it will otherwise take me two weeks to get round to spend a couple of hours writing it down.” Dave Snowden

5What types of knowledge exist?The wealth of expertise, ideas and latent insights that lies scattered across or deeply embedded within organisations.It’s sometimes very difficult to write down, and is often transferred by conversations, informal e-mails, presentations and methodologies such as a Community of Practice & the RTCF.It can easily walk out of the door….Tacit KnowledgeExplicit Knowledge“Hard” data, procedures, guidelines, policies, project plans, deadlines, reports. By definition it’s written down.Even though tacit knowledge is “soft”, there is far more of it in an organisation than explicit knowledge; Both are required and need different tools….

The wealth of expertise, ideas and latent insights that lies scattered across or deeply embedded within organisations.

It’s sometimes very difficult to write down, and is often transferred by conversations, informal e-mails, presentations and methodologies such as a Community of Practice & the RTCF.

It can easily walk out of the door….

“Hard” data, procedures, guidelines, policies, project plans, deadlines, reports. By definition it’s written down.

Transfer of Best PracticesGroups that share, learnHeld together by common interest in topicTrade tools, templates, best practicesSolve business problems Networks & CoPsFacilitated transferInternal benchmarking-Process Masters-Knowledge Champions-Best Practice TeamsSelf-Service +- Intranets- Portals to key info- Search- Yellow Pages- Expert directories Human Interaction HigherLowerKnowledge Transfer ApproachesTacit Explicit

Groups that share, learn

Held together by common interest in topic

Trade tools, templates, best practices

Solve business problems

Facilitated transfer

Internal benchmarking

8Yellow pages in action, linked to CoPs

Transfer of Best PracticesGroups that share, learnHeld together by common interest in topicTrade tools, templates, best practicesSolve business problems Networks & CoPsFacilitated transferInternal benchmarking-Process Masters-Knowledge Champions-Best Practice TeamsSelf-Service +- Intranets- Portals to key info- Search- Yellow Pages- Expert directories Human Interaction HigherLowerKnowledge Transfer ApproachesTacit Explicit

Groups that share, learn

Held together by common interest in topic

Trade tools, templates, best practices

Solve business problems

Facilitated transfer

Internal benchmarking

10Presentation outlineKnowledge Management / Knowledge Transfer?What are Communities of Practice (CoPs) – why are they important?What have others done?Global CoPs in practice….Where do we go from here?Questions & Answers

11What is a Community of Practice?“Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a passion for something that they know how to do, and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better.” Source: Etienne Wenger

12Innovation - Focus on developing ideas and innovative practicesHelping - Focus on members connecting to other each, allowing them to request help for problem solving and sharing ideasBest Practice - Focus on developing, validating and disseminating leading practicesKnowledge Stewarding - Focus on organising and managing CoPs common knowledge, including any material that members use on a regular basisCommunities of Practice are regarded as KM’s tour de force, but one size does not fit all: 4 typesSource: APQC / Wenger et al

13SHORT-TERM VALUELONG-TERM VALUEHelp with challengesAccess to expertiseConfidenceFun with colleaguesMeaningful workPersonal developmentReputationProfessional identityNetworkMarketabilityMEMBERSStrategic capabilitiesKeeping abreast InnovationRetention of talentsNew strategiesProblem solvingTime savingKnowledge sharingSynergies across unitsReuse of resourcesORGANISATIONSource: Etienne WengerThe Value of Working Together

14Presentation outlineKnowledge Management / Knowledge Transfer?What are Communities of Practice (CoPs) – why are they important?What have others done?Global CoPs in practice….Where do we go from here?Questions & Answers

15Many other companies have made significant use of CoPs British PetroleumBritish TelecomBuckmann LaboratoriesCaterpillerCap Gemini Ernst & YoungChevronTexacoDaimlerChryslerExxonMobilFordHalliburtonIBMSchlumbergerShell SiemensThe World BankXerox Corporation

16Shell’s experience (II)Sharing Expertise

17Concept of a Global Network (CoP)The answer isnew “Information”Discussion Group,High traffic areaWhat do others know ?Add the new InformationCoordinator &Subject Focal pointsStart withinserting your current InformationKnowledge BaseWhat information do we already have ?

18Shell’s experience: show me the money!Pecten Cameroon (a Shell company) shared its techniques for improving production from a gas lifted well, by injecting demulsifier, reducing viscosity in the production string and thereby increasing production. They obtained a gain of 500 barrels a day ($5 million per annum), and the approach is being extended to 17 other wells with prospective gains of 9 million per year.A ~US$200m benefit

19The ExxonMobil ApproachFirst priority: Discover & AdoptSecond priority: Discover & AdaptLast Resort: Develop (&Share!) We work for ExxonMobil – not just a BU

Communityof practiceMaintaining a Knowledge AssetDual Citizenship Kwinana Nerefco Toledo Dualcitizenship

21Presentation outlineKnowledge Management / Knowledge Transfer?What are Communities of Practice (CoPs) – why are they important?What have others done?Global CoPs in practice….Where do we go from here?Questions & Answers

22Linking local and global CoPsLinking BU CoPs with global CoPs….It’s a win-win when we get it to work.Global CoP structure – source McDermott

23RTCF Usage

24Presentation outlineKnowledge Management / Knowledge Transfer?What are Communities of Practice (CoPs) – why are they important?What have others done?Global CoPs in practice….Where do we go from here?Questions & Answers

25Build Trust; FTF meetingsCoordinatorsWIIFM?Shared OwnershipIncentivesExecutive SponsorshipCulture of “Discover & Adopt”EvangeliseOvercome fear of groupsFacilitatePEOPLEPROCESSSell, educate & trainSpark debate“Dual Citizenship”Learn by doingTECHNOLOGYCustomer focus – making collaboration ridiculously easyRTCFPortalRioNetWebeX, phone confCommunity of Practice - EnablersWiki

26A simple process to keep building a vibrant portfolio of Communities of PracticeBefore any business activity: Ask and Search During any business activity: LearnAfter any business activity: ShareWith thanks to Shell International

Communities of PracticeMark BennettLearningCollaborationmark.bennett@learningcollaboration.com