State of Community Management 2019 – Enabling Growth and Showcasing Value

Last week The Community Roundtable released it’s 10^th edition of the State of Community Management report. Each year I’m amazed by the findings of this report and what I’m able to get out of it. It’s an amazing compilation of data bringing together insights from communities all over the world. From ROI and value to how communities are propelling organizations forward, this report has it all.Full disclosure, I was part of the research working group this year, but that is not why I feel the way I feel about this research. I had nothing to do with gathering the data, interpreting it, and reporting out on it. All that glory goes to Rachel Happe and her team for bringing those insights together into the report we have available to us today.What does this mean for your association community? Let’s dig into the research, shall we?Research ThemesThe big themes that came out of this year’s research revealed three things:

• Communities are empowering the people they touch
• Communities are transforming organizations (whether the organizations realize it or not)
• Those who run communities are creating value – and are spread really thin

If I had to guess, this is probably similar to the story your online community program is telling within your association.Let’s take a look at these themes a little closer in relation to association online communities.Communities Propel EngagementYou might be thinking to yourself “right…that’s what communities do.” The buck doesn’t stop there, though. Think about what that really means not only for your members but for your community and for the organization!One of the main points called out under this theme is that community empowers individuals. According to the research, members are empowered frequently or all of the time through mechanisms built into the foundational workings of an online community.Do you see those numbers? You may think that asking questions is no big deal in an online community (isn't that why people come to an online community?), but the tendency for people to keep repeating that behavior is rooted deeply in how the community works and flows AND creates an organic cycle of engagement that keeps the community running, bringing people in, and creating leadership within the community ecosystem (and I’m not talking about community managers and staff moderators).Think about how your association runs. This level of empowerment is integral to ensuring that association members stay engaged, whether it’s at a live event, a chapter meeting, during their volunteer term, or any other way they choose to get themselves involved. Communities are already baking that into their everyday operations. There’s a ton of value in what’s represented here, and it shouldn’t be glossed over. It’s transformational…which leads us to the next theme.Communities Transform OrganizationsIt’s everywhere – associations are undergoing digital transformations to keep up with the growing demand and trends of a more technologically advanced world. Across the association landscape, new systems are being implemented, teams are being asked to be more agile, and new ways of working are being introduced. However, in order for there to be any stickiness in this regard, community approaches must be enabled.The SOCM research surfaces this by stating the following:“Community approaches are critical enablers to evolving into a network-centric operational model. For community programs, this strategic pull is integrating them deeply into the work of their organizations. The result is more people across the organization involved in community leadership, more platform integrations, more processes being enabled by communities, more governance requirements, and more executive visibility. All of that has contributed to compelling value.”Online communities are touching multiple parts of organizations and helping to drive work forward, helping to make those organizations more successful. As you will see in the research, community strategy and tactics don’t just benefit those who are active in the online community. They enable work at a faster pace, delivering just as much (if not more) value across lines of business. That means that community leadership is being seen as a trusted partner to help drive strategies within organizations. But they’re spread thin.Community Leadership is Unevenly DistributedThere are many community managers that are still expected to manage their community, consult on other projects, and develop their skills all while being the only one on staff for their program.What I tend to see happening is that community managers are taking on several roles while also managing their online community. We are coaching others on new ways of working and how to adopt a different mindset to get work done. We are consulting on projects that require our insight and assistance on integration points across the business. We are enabling new capabilities across the organization and helping work get done faster. And this is creating burnout.Add to this that there is a skills gap among community leaders, whether we want to admit it or not. We do a really great job of communicating the value of our communities in community terms; however, language needs to shift in order to get the attention of executives to secure resources and ample budget. The solution to this issue is two-fold; senior leaders need to help community leaders find the right way to build that business acumen AND community leaders must take ownership over their own development to understand where those gaps lie and how to close them.I’ve been reading this research since I entered the community management space in 2013 and this is the most compelling report, to date. There’s still a lot I need to wrap my brain around and I’m just barely scratching the surface with these insights. If you have the time, make sure you download it here. Share it with your teams. Share it with your leadership. Let it guide your way forward. And then let’s keep talking about it. I want to hear your insights, so please use the comments section or hop into the Community by Association Network with your thoughts so we can keep this conversation going.