Frameworks June 08, 2022 Framework

Change Community Cycle Framework: A Systems Approach to Community-Driven Organizational Transformation

The Problem Communities Solve

Organizations pursuing large-scale change face a fundamental challenge: traditional structures (departments, teams, services) create silos that resist transformation. Change initiatives often fail because they lack the flexibility, cross-functionality, and bottom-up expression needed for sustainable adoption.

Communities offer a complementary organizational form that addresses these limitations through:

Flexibility: Starting without rigid role constraints
Cross-functionality: Addressing side effects and change boundaries
Bottom-up expression: Accessing informal and unofficial spaces (with appropriate safeguards)

Framework Overview: The 7-Phase Change Community Cycle

The Change Community Cycle provides a systematic approach to aligning community activities with organizational change stages. Unlike traditional change models (ADKAR, Kotter), this framework focuses specifically on community dynamics and activities rather than overall organizational transformation phases.

INSPIRATION → COLLECTION → INITIATION → REALITY CHECK → 
SUCCESS CONFIRMATION → EXPOSITION → FORTIFICATION

Core Framework Principles

Design Philosophy

Community-first approach: Change happens through people, not processes
Dynamic activity alignment: Match community actions to change readiness
Voluntary participation: Build on intrinsic motivation rather than mandate
Iterative cycles: Balance member appropriation capacity with advancement needs

Key Assumptions

Communities work best supporting specific changes rather than “change in general”
Focus on practical changes that can be discovered progressively
Members view the change as positive (framework doesn’t cover all change types)
No fixed timeline - cycles adjust to balance appropriation and progress needs

Detailed Phase Analysis

Phase 1: INSPIRATION

“Nobody knows what the change subject even is. Hard to generate interest.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Curious but uncommitted
Time Investment: Personal time (breaks, lunch, after hours)
Departure Wave: People who never asked to be members leave

Internal Actions ✅

Share inspiring external examples (distant, highly positive applications)
Present temporal content (forecasting, trends, future vision)
Create narrative introductions using fictional, simplified frameworks
Deploy Serious Games (most relevant at this phase vs. later ones)
Focus on differentiation from daily routine to create urgency sense

External Actions 🌐

Collaborate with other communities to raise awareness without recreating everything
Connect with passionate sponsors/decision-makers who share convictions
Build relationships with future key contacts for later phases

Phase 2: COLLECTION

“Vague understanding emerges, mixed with apprehension and hope.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Seeking relevance to their local context
Time Investment: Still personal, but professional impact enables some official time
Departure Wave: People motivated only by personal curiosity leave

Internal Actions ✅

Conduct “What’s In It For Me?” workshops projecting individual gains/losses
Facilitate SWOT analysis sessions for collective subject consideration
Run Design Thinking workshops (especially Empathize and Ideate phases)
Model current use cases with Value Stream Mapping
Build team knowledge through context sharing sessions

External Actions 🌐

Seek new sponsors identified through SWOT analysis
Connect with communities having clear common interests
Deploy “detective” ambassadors to gather information and key contexts

Phase 3: INITIATION

“Clearer vision of results, but minimal practical application.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Eager to act but facing time constraints
Time Investment: Still personal time vs. growing professional needs
Departure Wave: People who find community activities too disadvantageous vs. time required

Internal Actions ✅

Create and maintain FAQ resources
Share beginner-friendly tutorials for group discovery
Facilitate Q&A sessions for practical application
Develop shadowing practices (observation in daily context)
Establish ambassador programs with instructor/professor roles

External Actions 🌐

Engage in “lobbying” and promotional comparison arguments
Defend interests and argue for priority elevation
Seek synergies with other communities to reduce diplomatic conflicts

Phase 4: REALITY CHECK

“First practical idea of what change means. Discovering resistances, obstacles to overcome.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Disillusionment as gap between expectations and reality becomes apparent
Time Investment: Professional for practice, personal for absorbing shock/compensation
Departure Wave: “Not worth crossing all this now, I’ll wait until it becomes mandatory”

Internal Actions ✅

Offer advanced dojos beyond basics for real-world application
Organize peer review sessions between members
Create mutual support groups, intervision, co-development sessions
Develop refined idea repositories for complex situations
Update realistic local use case models with change subject integration

External Actions 🌐

Publish first performance measures and encouraging local results
Communicate more substantiated success indicators
Rally struggling communities willing to make concessions
Rely on sponsor protection during this “desert crossing”

Phase 5: SUCCESS CONFIRMATION

“Recent successes need sustaining and building upon.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Growing confidence but potential complacency
Time Investment: Community participation becomes habitual
Departure Wave: “It’s finished, nothing more to see or discover”

Internal Actions ✅

Close or officially abandon lowest-value activities
Establish local usage rules and standards
Co-create learning pathways related to the subject
Aggregate community productions and share globally
Conduct comprehensive experience reviews from start to success
Address remaining difficulties with systematic approach
Brainstorm possible subject extensions

External Actions 🌐

Provide official thanks and sponsor recognition
Communicate successes, experiences, and measurable results
Organize official celebrations after difficult phases
Field requests from curious outsiders for advice and practices

Phase 6: EXPOSITION

“Understanding the change’s effect internally. Opportunities to extend beyond initial scope.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Experienced members seeking broader influence
Time Investment: Increasingly considered professional/official
Departure Wave: Members preferring intervention over spectator roles may leave

Internal Actions ✅

Formalize service offerings based on community expertise
Create member competency directories for external applications
Define local certification processes
Prospect and connect with departments considering similar changes
Network with communities in earlier phases of same change

External Actions 🌐

Establish common projects leveraging developed capabilities
Organize open houses and promotional events
Facilitate meetings between multiple communities working on same subject
Confront new challenges that seemed too difficult previously

Phase 7: FORTIFICATION

“Understanding how to integrate into this change. Potential priority conflicts with other engagements.”

Community Dynamics

Member State: Pragmatic focus on sustainability and integration
Time Investment: Personal time may reduce as community becomes daily work
Departure Wave: Members for whom subject isn’t a vocation may move on

Internal Actions ✅

Officialize part of community as team with professional time allocation
Update job descriptions to reflect new responsibilities
Involve community in recruitment processes
Participate in organizational progression systems
Transmit experience to other communities
Produce official reference documentation
Develop richer official role system beyond simple “ambassador”

External Actions 🌐

Create new organizational directions
Establish protected budget lines dedicated to subject
Integrate subject into official organizational communication
Develop dedicated organizational forms (different from community structure)

Operational Workshops (CCC Workshop Series)

The Change Community Cycle framework includes six specialized workshops designed to implement the framework effectively. Each workshop takes approximately 30 minutes and can be facilitated using visual management tools, either in-person or remotely.

CCC-Goals: Community Objective Alignment

Duration: 30 minutes | Participants: 5-12 community members

Level 1: Promotion

Title: CCC-Goals Workshop
Catchline: “Align community objectives with organizational transformation goals”

Level 2: Gameplay

Objective: Clarify and align community goals with broader organizational transformation
Materials: Goal mapping templates, organizational strategy documents
Process: Structured alignment discussion with priority setting

Level 3: Usage

Learning Objectives: Goal clarity, strategic alignment, priority consensus
Ideal Audience: Community leaders and active members
When to Use: At community formation and major phase transitions

Level 4-5: Facilitation

Context Review (10 min): Organizational transformation objectives
Community Goal Mapping (15 min): Define community-specific goals
Alignment Check (5 min): Ensure coherence and commitment

CCC-Flow: Subject Area Maturity Assessment

Duration: 30 minutes | Participants: 3-8 subject experts

Level 1: Promotion

Title: CCC-Flow Workshop
Catchline: “Assess the maturity level of each change subject area”

Level 2: Gameplay

Objective: Evaluate which subject areas are in which phases of the cycle
Materials: Phase assessment matrix, subject area breakdown
Process: Systematic evaluation of each change component

Level 3: Usage

Learning Objectives: Phase awareness, priority identification, resource allocation
Ideal Audience: Community coordinators and subject matter experts
When to Use: Regular cycle assessment (monthly/quarterly)

Level 4-5: Facilitation

Subject Area Identification (10 min): Break down change into components
Phase Assessment (15 min): Map each area to CCC phases
Action Planning (5 min): Prioritize interventions

CCC-Groups: Member Proficiency Evaluation

Duration: 30 minutes | Participants: Community facilitators + sample members

Level 1: Promotion

Title: CCC-Groups Workshop
Catchline: “Evaluate and develop member proficiency levels systematically”

Level 2: Gameplay

Objective: Assess member capabilities and development needs
Materials: Competency frameworks, individual assessment sheets
Process: Structured evaluation of member skills and engagement

Level 3: Usage

Learning Objectives: Skill gap identification, development planning, role matching
Ideal Audience: Community managers and mentors
When to Use: Onboarding, progression reviews, role assignments

Level 4-5: Facilitation

Competency Framework Review (10 min): Skill levels and expectations
Individual Assessments (15 min): Evaluate current member capabilities
Development Planning (5 min): Identify growth opportunities

CCC-Decision: Activity and Intervention Planning

Duration: 30 minutes | Participants: 4-10 community leaders

Level 1: Promotion

Title: CCC-Decision Workshop
Catchline: “Plan targeted activities and interventions for maximum impact”

Level 2: Gameplay

Objective: Select and plan specific activities based on current phase and member needs
Materials: Activity catalog, resource planning templates
Process: Systematic activity selection and implementation planning

Level 3: Usage

Learning Objectives: Activity alignment, resource optimization, intervention timing
Ideal Audience: Community organizers and activity leaders
When to Use: Phase transitions, activity planning cycles

Level 4-5: Facilitation

Current State Assessment (10 min): Phase and member readiness
Activity Selection (15 min): Choose appropriate interventions
Implementation Planning (5 min): Timeline and resource allocation

CCC-Ambassadors: Community Champion Role Definition

Duration: 30 minutes | Participants: 3-8 potential ambassadors

Level 1: Promotion

Title: CCC-Ambassadors Workshop
Catchline: “Define roles and develop community champions effectively”

Level 2: Gameplay

Objective: Clarify ambassador roles and responsibilities across different phases
Materials: Role definition templates, responsibility matrices
Process: Structured role design and commitment building

Level 3: Usage

Learning Objectives: Role clarity, responsibility acceptance, leadership development
Ideal Audience: Experienced community members ready for leadership roles
When to Use: Ambassador recruitment, role transitions, leadership development

Level 4-5: Facilitation

Role Framework (10 min): Ambassador types and responsibilities
Individual Role Definition (15 min): Personal commitment and scope
Support System Setup (5 min): Resources and backing needed

CCC-Indicators: Progress Measurement Framework

Duration: 30 minutes | Participants: 4-8 data-oriented members

Level 1: Promotion

Title: CCC-Indicators Workshop
Catchline: “Establish metrics to measure community transformation progress”

Level 2: Gameplay

Objective: Define measurable indicators for community and change progress
Materials: Metrics frameworks, measurement templates
Process: Systematic indicator development and tracking setup

Level 3: Usage

Learning Objectives: Measurement clarity, progress tracking, evidence building
Ideal Audience: Analytically-minded community members and sponsors
When to Use: Framework launch, progress reviews, sponsor reporting

Level 4-5: Facilitation

Measurement Framework (10 min): Types of indicators and success criteria
Indicator Selection (15 min): Choose specific, measurable metrics
Tracking System (5 min): Implementation and review rhythm

Workshop Implementation Guidelines

Sequencing Recommendations ✅

Launch Sequence: CCC-Goals → CCC-Groups → CCC-Decision
Regular Cycle: CCC-Flow → CCC-Decision → CCC-Indicators
Development Focus: CCC-Ambassadors as community matures
Review Rhythm: Monthly CCC-Flow, quarterly full cycle

Facilitation Best Practices ✅

Use visual management tools (whiteboards, sticky notes, digital boards)
Keep strict time boundaries (30 minutes maximum)
Focus on actionable outcomes rather than abstract discussion
Document decisions and follow up systematically
Adapt templates to organizational context and culture

Workshop Integration Strategy ✅

Phase Alignment: Match workshop intensity to current community phase
Member Engagement: Rotate facilitation to build capabilities
Sponsor Communication: Use CCC-Indicators results for reporting
Continuous Improvement: Gather feedback and refine workshop formats

Implementation Checklist

Pre-Launch Setup ✅

Identify specific change subject (avoid “change in general”)
Secure initial sponsor commitment
Define community scope and boundaries
Establish communication channels and meeting rhythms

Phase Progression Management ✅

Assess current phase through member behavior observation
Select 3-5 activities matching current phase needs
Monitor departure waves and adjust accordingly
Plan transition triggers to next phase

Community Health Monitoring ✅

Track time investment patterns (personal vs. professional)
Measure engagement levels and participation quality
Identify and develop potential ambassadors
Balance member appropriation capacity with advancement pressure

External Relationship Management ✅

Maintain sponsor relationships and communication
Build alliances with complementary communities
Manage competition for member attention/time
Communicate successes and learning to broader organization

Advanced Implementation Strategies

Multi-Community Orchestration

When managing multiple change communities simultaneously:

Phase Synchronization: Align related communities for mutual support
Resource Sharing: Pool ambassadors and expertise across communities
Conflict Prevention: Manage competition for member time and attention
Learning Transfer: Share insights and practices between communities

Measurement and Evaluation

Key metrics for Change Community Cycle effectiveness:

Engagement Metrics: Participation rates, activity completion, voluntary contribution
Progress Indicators: Phase transition timing, activity success rates
Impact Measures: Change adoption rates, behavioral shift evidence
Sustainability Markers: Self-organization development, ambassador emergence

Failure Mode Prevention

Common failure patterns and prevention strategies:

Stagnation: Insufficient challenge or unclear progress → Introduce new complexities
Burnout: Excessive demands on personal time → Seek official time allocation
Fragmentation: Too many competing priorities → Focus and scope management
Elite Capture: Community dominated by few voices → Systematic participation design

Connection to Broader OpenSeriousGame Methodology

The Change Community Cycle Framework exemplifies core OpenSeriousGame principles:

Viral Transmission: Each community member becomes capable of transmitting change knowledge

Systematic Scalability: Framework enables multiple communities across organizations

Gamified Learning: Serious Games integration particularly effective in Inspiration phase

Community-Driven Evolution: Framework itself evolves through practitioner feedback

Success Indicators and Expected Outcomes

Individual Level

Skill Development: Members progress through OpenSeriousGame role levels
Confidence Building: Increased willingness to experiment and teach others
Network Expansion: Stronger connections across organizational boundaries

Community Level

Self-Organization: Reduced dependence on external facilitation
Ambassador Emergence: Community members become change advocates
Knowledge Production: Original content and practices creation

Organizational Level

Adoption Acceleration: Faster change uptake than traditional approaches
Cultural Shift: Increased openness to community-driven initiatives
Capability Building: Enhanced organizational learning and adaptation capacity

Evolution and Adaptation

This framework is designed for continuous evolution based on practitioner experience. Like all OpenSeriousGame methodologies, it uses empirical and heuristic approaches, intended to evolve through:

Phase Description Refinement: Based on observed community patterns
Activity Correspondence Adjustment: Matching actions to phase realities
Context Adaptation: Modifications for different organizational cultures
Scale Considerations: Adjustments for various community sizes and complexities

Call to Action

The Change Community Cycle Framework demonstrates that systematic community support can dramatically improve organizational transformation success rates. By aligning community activities with change readiness phases, organizations can harness the collective intelligence and voluntary engagement that traditional change approaches often struggle to achieve.

Questions for your context:

What specific change in your organization could benefit from community support?
Which phase would your current change communities be in?
How might systematic community development accelerate your transformation goals?

Start with one change subject. Identify the current phase. Select appropriate activities. Build your community of practice. Watch organic transmission emerge.

For the complete Change Community Cycle serious game and additional resources: openseriousgames.org

This framework is part of the broader OpenSeriousGame methodology for viral knowledge transmission. Explore more frameworks at quach.fr/frameworks

Related: change community cycle organizational transformation community management change management

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