The Departmental Lens: Community Management Across Team Lines

Keynote given at the Community Leadership Summit, 2018. Made entirely using Corel Gallery 1994 clipart, with apologies. A Community Manager can fall in nearly any department in a company - from Support to Engineering to Marketing to HR to Business Development and beyond. How does the leader that signs the checks shape the team? I'll reflect on my experiences rolling like a lost marble, from department to department - and finding community's ability to bridge the departmental divide.

Transcript

1. The Departmental Lens Community Management Across Team Lines @feynudibranch
2. Kara Sowles
3. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size
4. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size 2012 Technical Operations 100
5. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size 2012 Technical Operations 100 2013 Business Development 170
6. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size 2012 Technical Operations 100 2013 Business Development 170 2014 Customer Success 210
7. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size 2012 Technical Operations 100 2013 Business Development 170 2014 Customer Success 210 2015 Product / Product Marketing 350
8. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size 2012 Technical Operations 100 2013 Business Development 170 2014 Customer Success 210 2015 Product / Product Marketing 350 2016 SysOps 415
9. 2011 Marketing 75 Year Reports to VP of... Company Size 2012 Technical Operations 100 2013 Business Development 170 2014 Customer Success 210 2015 Product / Product Marketing 350 2016 SysOps 415 2017 Products / Engineering 500+
10. about me
11. uh...
12. What the heck is with a team that can be ANYWHERE?
13. We’re talking about Community as a role in context in an organization -- rather than a value for ultimate good.
14. And, since you’re a role in a company, then you’re in a specific department --
15. What your VP is measured on defines your shape. PHOTOTROPISM
16. What your VP is measured on defines what you measure.
17. Because whatever metrics, KPIs, OKRs, whatever, that your executive is judged on, you better bet the CEO is on the phone with them right now telling them it’s not enough. It’s not enough! And they’re going to have to grind up whatever’s in sight to improve it. Oh look, you happen to be nearby. What do you do again? (added text for posted version)
18. *spins the wheel of corporate fate* let’s see where the community team landed TODAY!
19. Marketing WIN
20. Marketing You’re doing social media, even if isn’t supposed to be part of your job. You’re ground up into the lead machine. Hey, there’s no time for long-term work during a leads crisis! You're laid off. They needed another Marketo specialist I guess?
21. Business Development searching…. friends
22. Business Development You focus on integrations with whatever vendor the executives are most fired up about this quarter. The vendor doesn't do their share of the work. Or email you back, really.
23. Support help me HELP
24. Support You're evaluated on how many forum posts you answer. You live in the forum. The forum is your life now.
25. Product Marketing LOGO HERE
26. Product Marketing You’re always being asked to promote things to “the community”. I thought that was their wheelhouse?
27. Professional Services It’s so easy
28. Professional Services No one remembers to talk to you because they are WAY overbooked on engagements. Somehow now you’re booked on customer training engagements too?? It’s cool you love flying on weekends.
29. Engineering/Products well, technically...
30. Engineering/Products You're promised "engineer time" for projects, but it never seems to materialize. They're so busy shipping things, you get moved to the bottom of every Kanban board Budget? That’s for someone else’s headcount Shouldn’t you be in Marketing or something?
31. Human Resources BO
32. Human Resources Your job is internal community but you're constantly asked about the external community. The questions are always hiring related, somehow.
34. Sometimes other people don’t know what I do so much, that *I’m* not really sure what I do anymore
35. So what *do* we know?
36. You skillset doesn’t have to match your department.
37. The thing that made the biggest difference was how much the VP “got” community.
38. Every department has its advantages
39. Marketing An ACTUAL BUDGET Swag is ever-flowing, and there’s always a specialist nearby to help edit your blog post or promote your latest project
40. Business Development You’re able to work on crucial integrations Sales has your back for once located…. friends
41. Support Able to build resources that align with the customer experience and support lifecycle Forum metrics provide solid ROI for expanding the team thank you $$$
42. Product Marketing All the benefits of being buddies with both the Product and Marketing teams You know what’s shipping before it’s even recorded LOGO HERE
43. Professional Services You can always get someone to speak, write, or give feedback who’s worked with users in the field for years. It’s so easy
44. Engineering/Products Developer Relations can flourish especially well, collaborating with developers internally well, technically...
45. Human Resources You’re closest to the heart of the machine, able to impact systems and processes to encourage employee / community interaction BO
46. So how do I pick? (added text for posted version) Most of us don’t get to choose where our team falls, and honestly, every situation’s different - different products, company needs, stages, sizes, personalities, budget. So let’s leave that to you and your gut and your specific situation, and talk instead about some benefits we can get anytime.
47. The community function has the ability to bridge divides within the company, connecting the advantages of multiple departments.
48. Marketing Products Community team Education Customer Success Sales Final Event Agenda Company Conference Talk Selection Process Input from Business Development
49. current situation ideal future Best Practices are for what the goal looks like, not the path there
50. current situation a future help Best Practices are for what the goal looks like, not the path there
51. Hire Evangelists on-team Build Evangelism into Product roles Requires Budget Requires Alignment Control of employee time Control of employee time Goal Resources Needed Result Op i 1 Op i 2
52. Expand Your Resources
53. Think from the perspective of other groups What do you have that they need? user access $$$
54. What is their leadership measured against?
55. Physically list out other departments and how you interact. Intentionally brainstorm crossover with them.
56. They don’t know what the crap you do anyway.
57. And neither do I
58. 2011 Marketing Year Reports to VP of... 2012 Technical Operations 2013 Business Development 2014 Customer Success 2015 Product / Product Marketing 2016 SysOps 2017 Products / Engineering +
60. Thank you to @clipart1994bot which tweets Corel Gallery 1994 clipart every hour. All images are from this. A few have been modified; 1994 Corel clipart had, disappointingly, very little racial diversity.
61. Thank you also to folks on the Evangelist Collective Slack for discussing the topic of this talk. https://evangelistcollective .github.io/ Join us!
62. HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT! @feynudibranch
63. Extra Slide Storage Nothing behind this point is part of the preso!
64. Q & A [ fascinating, wise point ]
65. Q & A [ brilliant repartee ]