Communities of Interest (CoI) are groups of people with common interests that come together to share experiences and knowledge. The community is focused on the subject rather than the people involved or meeting a common goal which often leads to little interaction between members outside meetings or events. I attend the NorthEast Ohio Scrum Users Group (NEOSUG). There is a core group that regularly attends and any number of transitory attendees. When in-person meetings were possible, the pizza and the content were both good. Topics over the last few meetings ranged from WIP limits, Agile Coaching Code of Ethics, and the new Scrum Guide. The meetings delivered information, discussion, and a bit of networking. NEOSUG is a community of interest not a community of practice. Most CoI’s have two primary goals.
- Distribution and sharing of knowledge. This is generally the most important aspect of the CoI. The success of the group is often measured by satisfaction with the knowledge transferred.
- Maintain the health of the community. Health is measured as a function of growth (or stability) and involvement. Participation in a CoI is generally voluntary so finding, recruiting, and maintaining members becomes important. Without members, sharing will not take place.
The health of the community goal seems somewhat innocuous but is the reason many CoIs exist. Organizations with a vested interest often sponsor and fund CoIs because it is in their best interest. Many years ago I was part of a group that focused on coin collecting. Every month there would be a program followed by an auction of coins. The auction featured material from individual members and coin shops. The coin club was sponsored by two of the coin shops — the CoI helped keep people interested in coin collecting in general. NEOSUG is no different, it is sponsored by a local consultancy. The Community of Interest helps to create a healthy market fostering knowledge sharing and involvement.
Communities of Interest are different than Communities of Practice (CoP). While they sound similar each set out to achieve very different outcomes. CoPs seek to establish and enforce boundaries of behavior. CoPs also are more action-oriented, facilitating and sharing process improvements. CoIs educate and share information but do not attempt to generate or control behavior changes.
Next: Communities of Practice/Interest Mashups?
Other entries in the current Communities Theme: Community of Practice https://bit.ly/3k1dvOG
