Making the Case: The Business of Community

We've been researching community and engagement approaches for close to a decade at The Community Roundtable.

What we've discovered is that community approaches allow organizations to change how they change, lead, and manage in a way that dramatically decreases operational costs while empowering individuals and increasing agility, adaptability, and innovation.

Sound too good to be true?

Community approaches do come with some challenges. Everyone needs to learn to give up control. The content and transactional approach to measurement needs to be revamped and re-architected around people and behaviors. Individuals need to take more responsibility for their own work and less interest in overseeing other people's work. And lastly, finance and accounting models will need to be changed to allow for both agility and the recognition that people need to invest time in learning, reflection, failure, and play in order to be their most productive and innovative.

This week at the Aurea Experience, I shared some of our research findings from the 2018 State of Community Management as well as our approach to developing a community business model.

(Link to slides)

If you are wondering how or struggling to transform your culture, change leadership mindsets, or engage your internal or external stakeholders, a community approach should be on the top of your list.

Interested in learning how to build this case at your own organization?

I'll be teaching a Community Strategy, ROI, and Business Case workshop starting in January. Join me!