Thoughts From Ken 

Communities of Practice 

At a recent Courage to Lead introductory retreat, I was reminded again of the value of getting out of our isolation and learning together with peers.

One of the fundamental skills we teach at our retreats is that of asking of "honest, open questions" - ones that help a person explore their own dilemma and find their own answers, rather than lead them to our pre-identified "solutions."  Learning to question in this way can be quite hard for leaders, many of whom are used to being in the role of the fixer - diagnosing situations and proposing (or imposing) solutions.

After she explained what honest open questions are and what they aren't, Kim (one of the group leaders) shared a real-life dilemma with the group.  Then she asked our retreat participants to sit quietly and write down some "honest, open questions" that might support her in her discernment as to what to do.  As is typical, many found this task very difficult, and some didn't get it at all.

Next she invited people to get in groups of three, talk through what they had written down, and choose a few  questions they jointly thought were good ones to share when the entire group reassembled.  This time, each of the questions shared in the big circle was a good one, and many were excellent.

So, what happened?  In just 20 minutes in a small group, these neophytes' questions went from mediocre to outstanding.  I think the answer has to do with the power of learning in groups, and that it has significant implications for how we learn and grow as professionals.

Yes it's true that with the Internet, we can "learn" about anything we want, 24 hours a day.  It's all out there.  But what's missing in our personal relationship with technology is practice.  It takes practice to develop new skills, to learn from our experiences, and to process those learnings into knowledge and mastery. 

And that's where the emerging concept of "communities of practice" has much to offer.  Communities of practice, according to Etienne Wenger who writes extensively about them, "are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly."

In the world of philanthropy and nonprofits, here are a few examples of where I see communities of practice adding value:

• Giving circles, like Social Venture Partners or Women's Funds.  I helped to build such a group around family philanthropy, engaging our children in community service.  Well tended, these donor circles result in more effective philanthropy, as well as a lot of great learning among those who actively participate.

• Professional learning networks, like Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), the Courage Collaboration (for circle of trust® facilitators across the world), or local foundation roundtables.  My involvement in the first two of these organizations has definitely made me better at my work supporting leaders. 

I'm pleased to see this trend towards more and deeper group learning models in our field.  In 15+ years in our sector, my biggest frustrations come from the fact that people spend too much time in their own silo (their organization, their foundation, their program, their approach), and not enough time learning together and sharing what they're learning.

Learning groups are particularly crucial in sectors like ours where there are few standards of formation or professional development preparing people to practice their role.  When you go see a doctor, you know something of the rigor of education and training they've received before practicing their profession.  To a lesser extent, this is true of MBA's.

But this is not true of most nonprofit executives, program officers or donors.  Many have received little real preparation to do their important work.  Without a peer community to learn with, how are they to advance in their professional skill besides trial and error from their own personal experience, in their own little silo?

Investing in communities of practice in our philanthropic space is a high-leveraged investment.  It was part of my motivation for founding the Courage to Lead program for nonprofit leaders here in California.  The deep, trusted relationships that we help facilitate among peer nonprofit leaders results in all kinds of benefits for the leaders and their organizations.

The evaluation of our program has shown participants, on average, reporting both an increased willingness and ability to reach out to others for help with work-related issues, and an increase in time spent nurturing outside relationships.  As one of our participants wrote, "through my interactions with colleagues in Courage to Lead, I have seen how valuable collegial relationships can be."

One Executive Director in our first Courage to Lead cohort ended a retreat by saying she'd been doing her community work for 20 years, and it wasn't until her experience in this cohort of other dedicated nonprofit leaders that "I finally feel like I've found my tribe."

I know what that feels like.  My philanthropic work has brought me some of my most valued friendships.  Our sector attracts a lot of very special people, who combine experience and talent with a deep concern for the welfare of others.  I learn a lot as the result of these relationships, but they also have added much joy and meaning to my life.