Help Community Members Build Trusted Relationships in Virtual Environments

APQC’s 2010 study on communities, Positioning Communities of Practice for Success, identified seven critical success factors that support effective community programs. One of these factors relates to the rise of virtual communication. To be successful over the long term, organizations must adapt their communities to modern communication norms, accept that tight travel budgets allow for fewer in-person meetings, and replace the value that used to be built through face-to-face interactions in creative ways. Case examples from Alcoa World Alumina, Ernst & Young, and Schlumberger are included.