ReadWriteWeb's Guide to Online Community Management... is an interesting mashup of news, views and resources on the emerging role of Community Manager. Unfortunately not a free (open source) offering but interesting nonetheless.

I figure Community Management is one role worth keeping tabs on - afterall, we are the "least connected we will ever be" - as Don Peppers reminded several of us recently.

Let's start with a definition...

The report presents a simple definition of a community manager (from Connie Bensen):

"A community manager is the voice of the company externally and the voice of the customers internally. The value lies in the community manager serving as a hub and having the ability to personnally connect with customers (humanise the company) and serving all departments internally (development, PR, marketing, customer service, tech support, etc)"

Some of the pearls from this report:

"The ideal community manager personality: Passionate, but without letting it get out of control. Thick-skinned, but not cruel or insensitive. Driven, but still interested in helping others. Personable, but always professional." (Dan Gray)

In nearly all community manager job descriptions, there are four common responsibilities rolled up into the job (Jerimiah Owyang):

1. A community advocate
2. Brand evangelist
3. Savvy communication skills, shapes editorial
4. Gathers community input for future product and services

An instructive credo from Flickr (Flickr's Ten Points to live by):

1. Engage your community
2. Enforce decorum
3. Take responsibility for failures
4. Step back and let the community support itself where appropriate
5. Give freely
6. Be patient
7. Hire fans
8. Stay calm
9. Be flexible but focus on what matters
10. Be visible

On the dynamics with contributors:

"Because most Web users are voyeurs more than contributors, you should think of online discussion as theatre; it's a performance in which the community leader(s) interact with a small group of contributors for the education and amusement of the rest of us." (Michael Mace, Rubicon Consulting).  Best you get to know your fellow actors!

Some interesting advice on keeping a balance between business basics and the world of early adopters ("how not to lose your mind"):

"Identify and offer solutions for breaking down barriers between customers and corporate. This includes identifying needs that aren't being met from the customer's perspective and being involved in the discussion as to whether the needs are valid, if they can be met, and if they will benefit the organisation as a whole."

A couple of things that struck me about this report:

Despite perhaps a bias to Web 2.0 companies, how different the company, community circumstances are (duh..).

The importance of passion in this role (something you don't often see in a job description...); you need to be something of an evangelist to be successful in this role I suspect... given both its potential breadth and the change management implications often involved.

If you are going to make a difference, this is not a job for the faint hearted...