Creating an Online Community
What happens when you care deeply about something and have knowledge that can help others? Many people write a book on the topic, hoping to extend their reach.
What happens when you want to go beyond the reach of your book? You can start an online community like Kevin Eikenberry, Guy Harris and Becky Robinson did for From Bud to Boss, a wonderful newly released book for new leaders.
New leaders face many challenges that aren’t quickly addressed through an orientation program or a seminar.
Stunning statistics from a recent DDI study revealed:
- 42% of new managers don’t understand what it takes to succeed
- More than half of leaders learned through trial and error
New leaders desperately need support on an ongoing basis. From Bud to Boss serves as a great resource on a myriad of topics.
But now social media provides an opportunity for authors to go beyond their book and offer a constantly refreshing stream of information and the opportunity to have dialogue on issues as they arise. Although online communities are not new, creating one to support ideas presented in a book is an intriguing application.
Wanting to know more about what an online community is and could be, I decided to ask one of the authors Kevin Eikenberry about the Bud to Boss Community.
Why did you create the Bud to Boss Community?
New leaders often feel alone. The community is a place where they can go to find others who share the same challenges and have access to people with expertise in the questions they struggle with.
Learning is a process, not an event. We created the community so we could continually provide new information and support learning on an ongoing basis.
Our hope is that members of the community will be inspired to take action.
Who is the community for?
The community is for people who have recently transitioned into a leadership role, and it is also for their bosses, HR and others who support new leaders.
What does the community provide that a book doesn’t?
The community is interactive. It provides a forum – where people can ask and answer questions, where they can both receive and share.
The community also provides additional content, important information that we wanted to share but didn’t have space to include in the book. We call these additional resources Bonus Bytes – helpful articles on a variety of topics from the book.
How do you join the Bud to Boss Community?
Anyone can visit the website to get access to a wealth of helpful information. But book owners also have access to the forum, the interactive aspect of the community and the Bonus Bytes. (On page 5 of the book there are instructions on how to join.)
My own reflections
Having joined and explored the community, I can honestly say it is remarkable experience. At first it’s like touring an amazing new country. I couldn’t decide what to explore first. But as I got the lay of the land, I discovered it is a fabulous resource.
The discussions are especially interesting as people discuss how they are applying certain principles presented in the book. I especially enjoyed the discussion on the DISC model. This useful model for understanding personal style, motivation and communication is presented in the book, but comes alive through the online discussion.
Thank you, Jesse, for this review of From Bud to Boss and the associated online community. While I had seen the book advertised, I never realized that there was an associated online community. Wonderful!
I continue to be amazed by the level of support you and others in the leadership community offer each other. It is truly a community of leaders living their values. You all continue to inspire me every day.
Hi Sharon, I was hoping my post would make more people aware of the Bud to Boss Community, which is a wonderful resource. I, too, am impressed with the dedication of those who support leaders and the people they serve in their efforts to continually find new ways to extend learning. Technology has opened new territory that is still being explored. I think it’s a great idea to create an online community to support people who care about a specific book topic – in this case supporting leaders who are new in position. The Bud to Boss Community is an excellent example of such a community and is a great model for others who wish to do the same.
Jesse,
Thanks so much for highlighting the work that we’re doing to provide resourcing relationships and content in the Bud to Boss Community. We’re blessed to have your support, encouragement, and friendship!
Becky
You are welcome, Becky. I wrote my post because I believe in what you are doing, and because you provide an excellent example for others to follow.
Hmmmm….thinking about the diversity of the autism professional community, where each discipline reads their own journals, writes their own research, attends their own conferences, and never speak to each other. In fact, in a recent study of ABA techniques, those tutors who scored higher on an allegiance to ABA had the best results in their kids – those kids made the most progress….
I’m still all about putting the person into the teaching, but the research does not support this. Maybe there’s a community of people who think like me and want to talk about it. I’ve had some reactions to my blog, but it’s small…so I am getting ideas from your work and thinking about how to put them into my world!
Glad to hear things are percolating for you, Susan. As you know, when like-minded people get together, amazing things can happen. And conversely when you’re doing good work, but are isolated, it’s really hard. Please let me know what comes of your musings, and if I can help, even as a sounding board, let me know.
Jesse you wrote a great post on highlighting a community with a great message.
Thanks, Lolly. Kevin, Guy and Becky have created a wonderful platform. I’m glad to help spread the word so more people know about it.