Cultivating Change: Building a Thriving Community of Practice for Minnesota’s Change Leaders
Imagine this, in the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota, a group of change managers at a government agency faced a familiar challenge: siloed teams, duplicated efforts, and inconsistent adoption of new technologies. Despite individual successes, the lack of shared learning left them exhausted. Then, they tried something different. They formed a Community of Practice (CoP), blending the Art of Hosting’s participatory practices with Prosci’s structured methodology. Within a few months, cross-departmental collaboration soared and project adoption rates improved. Their secret? A deliberate fusion of human-centered hosting and evidence-based change management.
This is my Community of Practice creation story. You may be wondering how I got here. It all started with a comment during a weekly check-in with a colleague. We were discussing the siloed nature of our work and how we need a space to share, collaborate, and discuss best and emerging practices. After the meeting I reached out to several other change managers throughout the Enterprise and all of them shared, they would be interested in joining a Community of Practice (CoP.)
Next, I developed a Goals and Roles document which discussed the roles of attendees and our goals for the meetings. During our first Community of Practice meeting, we spent time getting to know each other and discussed the Goals and Roles document. Below is a step-by-step guide to help other Organizational Change Managers (OCM) develop their own Community of Practice.
Step-by-Step Creation Strategy: Merging Art of Hosting and Prosci®
Define Purpose and Secure Sponsorship
Art of Hosting (AoH) Principle: Begin with a “conversation that matters.” Host a World Café session to co-create the CoP’s purpose, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
Prosci Alignment: Use the Prepare Approach phase to identify sponsors and link the CoP to strategic objectives. Active executive sponsorship is the #1 success factor for CoPs.
Design the Container for Participation
AoH Practice: Create a “safe container” using circle processes or Open Space Technology to foster trust and self-organization.
Prosci Tactics: Apply the ADKAR® model to address individual barriers:
- Awareness: Communicate the CoP’s value through stories and data.
- Desire: Invite middle managers as champions to model engagement.
Launch with Collaborative Rituals
Host a kickoff using Pro Action Café (AoH) to prioritize challenges and prototype solutions.
Embed Prosci’s Three-Phase Model:
- Prepare: Develop a charter with roles and metrics.
- Manage: Use checklists and templates for consistent practice sharing.
- Sustain: Create feedback loops to harvest insights and adjust strategies.
Nurture Continuous Learning
AoH Methods: Rotate hosting duties among members to build leadership capacity.
Prosci Integration: Align CoP activities with the Five Tenets of Change Management, e.g., “Organizational outcomes are the collective result of individual change”.
Scale with Intention
Transition from ad hoc gatherings to structured “learning sprints” tied to project milestones.
Leverage Prosci’s ECM Framework to integrate the CoP into enterprise-wide change maturity.
Lessons from the Field: Wisdom from Practitioners
- “Make Tea, Not Agendas”: One Minnesota CoP found that informal “coffee chats” boosted psychological safety more than rigid meetings. “The magic happened when we stopped presenting slides and started sharing stories,” noted a facilitator.
- Middle Managers Matter: A manufacturing CoP struggled until they invited line managers to co-host sessions. Result? 30% faster buy-in for plant-floor initiatives.
- Fail Forward: A failed attempt to standardize tools taught a financial services CoP the value of AoH’s “emergent design”—adapting methods in real-time based on member needs.
Key Takeaways for Minnesota’s Change Leaders
- Blend Structure and Emergence: Prosci’s phases provide scaffolding; AoH’s participatory methods ignite energy.
- Lead with Questions, Not Answers: Hosting “strategic silence” in conversations surfaces collective wisdom.
- Measure What Connects: Track both adoption metrics (Prosci) and qualitative stories of collaboration (AoH).
- Celebrate “Small Wins”: A public health CoP used a “progress wall” to visualize incremental successes, sustaining momentum during long-term transformations.
Change is not a solo sport. As you build your Community of Practice, remember the AoH adage: “The wisdom is in the room.” Pair this with Prosci’s rigor, and you’ll create more than a network—you’ll foster a movement. Minnesota’s challenges are complex, but your collective capacity to host change is greater still. Start small, stay curious, and let the practice evolve. The next breakthrough is already brewing in the conversations you’ve yet to host.
Inspired by the Art of Hosting’s participatory principles and Prosci’s evidence-based frameworks.
About the Author:
Julie Zaruba Fountaine is a member of the Minnesota Change Management Network and a change management coordinator, consultant, and keynote speaker based in Northfield, Minnesota. She is the founder of Empower Possible, a wellness and change management organization that delivers innovative solutions through workshops, presentations, and consulting services. Julie integrates evidence-based and emerging change management practices to enhance well-being and engagement across diverse organizations, including healthcare, academia, and nonprofits. With over a decade of experience in wellness roles, she has also served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Mary. Julie holds advanced degrees in health sciences and business leadership. Contact Julie at info@empowerpossible.com.
A Note from MnCMN
Thank you, Julie, for sharing such an energizing and practical case study.
As a MnCMN member, you can submit your own story to be featured in our collection of member insights. Share a case study, lessons learned, or a bold idea that’s sparking dialogue in your organization. Whether your change initiative succeeded, failed, or is still in progress—we want to hear your voice. Review submission details & submit your story at office@mncmn.org
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