One of the questions we ask prospective
members of a community of practice is where
do you want to be in 5 years time?
Another question is what do you need to get there?
Once we know a member’s aspirations, we can
construct a powerful community concept to help members achieve those
aspirations. It’s far stronger to build a community for authors hoping to build
a self-publishing business model in their spare time than a community for
authors.
This affects the activities you host within
the community too. You can bring in case studies, stories, and advice from
those that have achieved similar goals. You schedule problem-solving live
discussions to tackle specific obstacles to achieving those goals.
You can create an area for members to track
their progress towards the goal and form a support group atmosphere (similar to
weight-loss/fitness communities).
You soon spot common similarities in their
answers. Most want similar positions or face similar problems.
By applying some basic research, you can
build a far stronger community concept.
