AI Took Great Meeting Notes – But it Missed the One Thing that Actually Mattered

I had been experimenting with AI as a tool for capturing and deepening the learning that happens in my meetings with clients.

I started by comparing AI-generated notes from one of our meetings with the notes I had taken myself.

The AI notes were good. They captured what we discussed, our decisions, and next steps.

Mine were different.

So I asked AI to compare the two sets of notes and tell us what was different.

The answer was striking:

The AI notes captured what happened. My notes captured what was learned.

That distinction matters.

What are we listening for?

When I take notes in a coaching session or Community of Practice, I’m not only listening for decisions and action items. I’m listening for changes in thinking.

  • What did someone figure out?
  • What new connection did we make?
  • What assumption changed?
  • What does someone understand now that they didn’t understand at the beginning of the conversation?

Those are often the most valuable outcomes of a learning conversation—and conventional meeting notes can miss them entirely.

So I tried a very simple experiment.

I went back to the same meeting notes. But instead of asking AI to summarize the meeting, I asked:

“What was learned during this meeting?”

The results were markedly different.

AI surfaced insights, connections, and changes in thinking—learning embedded in the conversation that would never have shown up in conventional meeting minutes.

From documentation to learning

This changed how I thought about the role AI could play in Communities of Practice and other adult-learning settings.

Most of us use AI meeting tools to help us remember:

  • What happened?
  • What did we decide?
  • What do we need to do next?

Those are useful questions.

But if the purpose of bringing people together is learning, perhaps we should also be asking:

  • What did we learn?
  • What changed in our thinking?
  • What knowledge emerged from the group?
  • What should we carry forward into our practice?

That moves AI from being simply a documentation tool to becoming a learning and reflection tool.

For organizations investing in Communities of Practice, peer-learning networks, coaching, and other forms of adult learning, that feels like an important shift. We have a new opportunity to capture learning that previously might have disappeared when the meeting ended.

Try it yourself

The next time you process AI-generated meeting notes, don’t stop at the summary.

Ask:

“What was learned during this meeting?”

Then compare the two.

You may discover that the most valuable part of the meeting wasn’t what happened at all.

The experiment describe above grew out of coaching work Ken Goeddeke and I have been doing with our client Kathleen (Kat) Da Silva at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE), where she facilitates a Community of Practice. I’m so grateful for this fruitful collaboration.

Transformative Impact: When Learning Starts to Travel

How the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education turned a network of connections into a Community of Practice that spreads what works

Across rural Georgia, organizations in education, healthcare, business, and social services are working to improve outcomes for students and communities. But when learning stays siloed—within programs, counties, or even individual relationships— impact is limited.

That’s where our partnership with the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE) began.

The Challenge: When Good Ideas Stay Local

At the center of this work is the Rural Learning Network (RLN), a cross-sector initiative connecting leaders across the birth-to-workforce pipeline—from early childhood to higher education, from mental health to workforce development.

The right people were in the room. Important work was happening. 

But like many networks, RLN faced a familiar challenge: what worked in one place wasn’t spreading. A promising approach in one county might never reach another. Learning stayed local—and progress slowed as a result.

The Shift: From Network to Community of Practice

Together with GPEE, we focused on a critical shift: moving from a network of connections to a true Community of Practice.

That meant designing for learning—not just convening.

We introduced structures that supported growing relationships, peer exchange, and shared reflection. Convenings became sessions where participants learned directly from one another’s experience, not just the presenter.

At the same time, we strengthened facilitation capacity—equipping network leaders with practical tools to lead more focused, participatory, and results-oriented conversations.

What Changed

The impact was immediate and visible:

  • Conversations became more structured, inclusive, and action-oriented
  • Participants engaged with one another—not just with presentations
  • Ideas and practices began to travel across communities
  • Convenings led to clearer next steps and stronger follow-through

As Kathleen Da Silva (Director of Regional Engagement) reflected:

“Working with the Knowledge Communities team helped me grow our network into a fully functioning Community of Practice and sharpen how I facilitate collaborative groups. Their coaching and facilitation strategies are practical and immediately usable. The tools and techniques I learned are being applied in ways that extend well beyond what I anticipated. For example, I’ve used the discussion methods at regional partner convenings to lead structured table conversations that transform presentations into shared learning and actionable next steps.”

Why It Matters

When networks are designed for learning—not just connection—ideas move.

And when ideas move, networks become more than a collection of people doing good work. They become engines for spreading what works—and accelerating impact.

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A Newly Published Book Chapter: Celebrating a Milestone

I’m thrilled to announce that my chapter “Creating and Nurturing Communities of Practice for Neighborhood Revitalization” has just been published in the volume Handbook of Quality of Life and Social Change — part of the International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life series from Springer. The chapter became available online as of October 5, 2024. SpringerLink

What the Chapter Covers

In the chapter, I explore how communities — much like the families we’re born into — shape long-term outcomes across health, income, and educational opportunities. I argue for the importance of place-based community revitalization and shared learning, as embodied in a “community of practice” (CoP) model. Drawing from the work of Purpose Built Communities Foundation, I show how collaborative, cross-sector leadership involving residents, civic organizations, philanthropy, and business can promote equity, wellness, and opportunity across neighborhoods. SpringerLink+1

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all blueprint, the chapter highlights how a CoP helps local leaders learn from each other and adapt effective strategies across different contexts — respecting the unique challenges and assets of each neighborhood. SpringerLink

Why This Matters to Me (and Hopefully You Too)

Writing this chapter has been a deeply personal and professional journey. Neighborhoods are more than just geographic areas — they are ecosystems of relationships, aspirations, and potential. I believe that by strengthening community networks, we can build more equitable and resilient places for families to thrive.

Publishing this work feels like a first step in a larger conversation: one that bridges research, practice, and real-world impact. My hope is that the ideas shared in this chapter will inspire practitioners, policymakers, and community advocates to think differently about neighborhood change — not just in terms of projects or investments, but in terms of people, relationships, and shared learning.

What’s Next

  • I plan to continue exploring how CoPs can support community-led transformation, especially in under-resourced neighborhoods.
  • I hope to engage with practitioners, community leaders, and fellow researchers to test and refine these ideas in real-world settings.
  • Feel free to reach out if you want to discuss collaborations, community building, or future research ideas.

What Two New Articles Teach Us About Strong Nonprofit Networks

Nonprofit leaders are navigating enormous pressure right now—from funding uncertainty to political headwinds. That’s why the latest Chronicle of Philanthropy article, “Stronger Together: the Benefits of Joining Nonprofit Networks,” resonated so strongly with me. It underscores what so many of us see every day:
Networks and peer connections aren’t a “nice to have”—they’re essential infrastructure for resilience, innovation, and staying in the work.

The Chronicle article highlights exactly what we’ve learned through five years of supporting the Purpose Built Network Community of Practice:

  • Leaders need a place where they don’t feel alone
  • Peer expertise accelerates learning far faster than going it alone
  • Cross-organizational relationships spark creativity and shared solutions
  • Networks become lifelines during crises—financial, political, or personal
  • Diverse perspectives help leaders see beyond their own “trenches” (as one nonprofit leader put it in the article)

Our new piece, “Building Community, Driving Change: What We’ve Learned in 5 Years of the Purpose Built Community of Practice,” shows how this plays out in practice. Purpose Built’s Community of Practice has become:

  • A movement home for leaders
  • A space for shared problem-solving
  • A catalyst for spreading innovations from one neighborhood to another
  • A structure that sustains people through hard moments, preventing burnout and turnover

Taken together, these two articles point to the same conclusion:
💡 If we want stronger organizations and stronger outcomes, we need stronger connections between the people doing the work.

Communities of Practice, peer networks, and learning communities aren’t peripheral—they’re one of the most strategic investments funders and nonprofits can make.

If you’re curious about how Purpose Built built a thriving, multi-year network—or if you’re thinking about creating one in your field—I’d love to talk.

Building Community, Driving Change: What We’ve Learned in 5 Years of the Purpose Built Community of Practice

Over the past five years, the Purpose Built Communities network has undergone a powerful transformation through its Community of Practice (CoP), evolving from a loosely connected group into a vibrant, collaborative learning community and advocacy group. A newly released report, co-developed with Naava Frank of Knowledge Communities, captures key milestones from 2019 to 2024 and highlights the deep impact of intentional peer learning, trust-building, and shared leadership across the network.

Report Highlights Include:

  • Stronger Connections and Belonging: Personalized onboarding, virtual orientations, and a growing Buddy Program have helped over 150 professionals across the network feel seen, connected, and supported in their work.
  • Tacit & Explicit Knowledge Sharing: Through peer exchanges, job-alike CoP groups, and in-person convenings, members have shared hard-earned insights and created toolkits, templates, and handbooks that now support the entire network.
  • Action at Every Level: From regional collaboratives securing public funding to national advocacy like “Hill Day,” Network Members are increasingly working together to drive change beyond their local communities.
  • A Living Learning Culture: The network’s capacity to self-organize and support each other is now fully embedded in Purpose Built’s operations, with members driving agendas, shaping knowledge products, and sustaining momentum.

This report doesn’t just celebrate five years of growth — it maps out a future where shared knowledge, deep relationships, and collaborative action continue to power neighborhood transformation.

Download the full report or visit Purpose Built Communities to learn more.

Download

Ready to Launch a Community of Practice?

Start Here with Tool 1: Steps for Launching a New Community of Practice Group

Building a thriving Community of Practice (CoP) doesn’t have to feel overwhelming — and you don’t have to start from scratch. In our latest report, Building Community, Driving Change, we share practical tools developed and tested by the Purpose Built Communities network. One of the most actionable is Tool 1: Steps for Launching a New Community of Practice Group.

This step-by-step guide walks you through a proven, inclusive process for launching a peer learning group that actually works. It’s based on real-world experience from Purpose Built’s Network Members who have been doing this work successfully since 2019.

Here’s what the tool covers:

  • Step 1: Recruit
    Gather a small group of peers who share a role, challenge, or interest — ideally 6 to 12 people.
  • Step 2: Plan a First Meeting
    Focus on purpose, expectations, and shared norms. The tool includes prompts and sample agendas to get you started.
  • Step 3: Facilitate Meaningfully
    Use light-touch facilitation to ensure all voices are heard. No expert knowledge required — just thoughtful listening and shared leadership.
  • Step 4: Sustain Momentum
    Schedule regular meetings, rotate leadership roles, and build toward shared products like templates or case studies.

Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, neighborhood organizer, or systems-change advocate, Tool 1 offers a simple but powerful roadmap to turn informal conversations into ongoing peer learning that drives action.

Want to see the full tool?


Download the full report: [Building Community, Driving Change: Five Years of the Purpose Built Community of Practice].

Or reach out to Naava Frank at Knowledge Communities for help getting your CoP off the ground.

Circles of Connection After Trauma

Today is 9/11/2024, and it feels like another lifetime when I was living in the Boston area and working downtown. The news started to spread, and my wonderful colleague, Bonnie Hausman, said, “Let me drive you home to Cambridge. We’ll pick up your kids at pre-school on the way so you can all be together. Who knows what the rest of the day will bring?” She knew my husband was in London at the time. And so she did—bless you, Bonnie. The rest of the day is a blur, trying to entertain two pre-schoolers at home while anxiously following the news.

Remembering Bonnie’s kindness and the closeness we felt that day also brings to mind another traumatic event experienced in community: the Boston Marathon bombing. I vividly recall the unity and compassion that spread throughout the city as people came to terms with the shock and looked for ways to help those in need.

My friend and professional colleague, Sarah Blumenstock Girrell, owner and leader of the Goddard School in Reading, MA, shared an incident involving the parents at her school that made me wonder: What motivates this outpouring of help and connection after a tragedy? And how long does it last?

I remember the quote Mr. Rogers is famous for “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, reflecting on Sarah’s experience and my Jewish tradition, I wrote a brief reflection for Sh’ma magazine (included below).

I hadn’t thought about that article in years, but when one of my colleagues shared her first-person account of 9/11 today, it came to mind. I found myself reflecting on what motivates helpers after a tragedy and how long that motivation endures. It’s hard to connect with the enormity of 9/11 more than 20 years later, living in a different city, with grown children and work deadlines piling up.

In honor of today, I remember the victims of the Towers and the helpers who gave their lives. Please accept my reflection. Below is a link to the article in Sh’ma magazine.

Shma Circles of Connection _ Sh’ma Journal_ A Journal of Jewish IdeasDownload

Value and Impact of the Purpose Built Community of Practice: 2019-2021

Knowledge Communities, in collaboration with Purpose Built Communities, have released a white paper (that you can download below) telling the story of Purpose Built’s successful and compelling journey to adopt and implement a Community of Practice (CoP) strategy to support neighborhood revitalization and racial equity. Specifically, the paper describes the Purpose Built CoP startup process, the status of the Purpose Built CoP as of early 2021 and success factors to date. Finally, the paper contains an appendix of tips for practitioners who support and manage CoPs and networks.

  • Read about how the Purpose Built Community of Practice (PB CoP) successfully supported a network of change makers across the country during COVID and continues to support them on an ongoing basis today.
  • Learn some practical strategies you might want to adopt as you build a community of practice.
  • Understand why the PB CoP exemplifies best practices from which many can learn.  

Communities of Practice bring together professionals who share a common set of challenges (e.g., Purpose Built Network leaders focused on place-based community development) on an ongoing basis to collaboratively solve problems and learn from each other.

Article Summary

Purpose Built Communities brings together Network Members — leaders and staff of organizations working to improve equity and opportunity in neighborhoods across the country — in a networked Community of Practice (CoP) structure. Knowledge sharing and collaboration helps local leaders in the Network tackle the complex challenge of intergenerational poverty to achieve racial equity, improved health outcomes and upward mobility for residents.

In 2019, with the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Purpose Built Communities began moving from a hub-and-spokes structure (with Purpose Built serving as the hub), to a Community of Practice, also known as a networked model.

The Purpose Built Community of Practice stimulates problem recognition, and the creation, exchange and application of innovations to serve place-based neighborhood revitalization that moves people out of poverty.

The CoP’s structure and interactions help Network Members:

  • Build stronger relationships with supportive peers
  • Accelerate knowledge sharing
  • Respond rapidly and flexibly to changes in circumstances
  • Shorten learning curves to gain skills and expertise fundamental to Network Member excellence
  • Successfully implement the Purpose Built Communities model
  • Make informed decisions that create stronger outcomes

For more information, read the full white paper below, “Value and Impact of the Purpose Built Community of Practice: 2019-2021″

Purpose-Built-CoP-White-PaperDownload

Making Lemonade from Lemons: Purpose Built Communities of Practice in a Time of COVID

When COVID hit, Naava Frank, lead consultant on Communities of Practice (CoP) at Purpose Built Communities, (under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), and Michelle Mathews, Senior Vice President of Purpose Built Communities, realized it was an opportunity to jump-start the Community of Practice they had been planning.

Although the in-person conference session to launch the CoP would have to be cancelled, members needed support. Michelle and Naava convened a video call and the CoP was born. Members had a peer group for immediate practical, emotional and moral support in meeting the challenges they were facing as leaders during COVID.

Even now, knowledge sharing and collaboration through the CoP — supported by Ashley Bozarth, Purpose Built’s Knowledge Manager — continues to help Network Members tackle the complex challenge of intergenerational poverty as they aim to achieve racial equity, improved health outcomes, and upward mobility for residents. The old dictum, “lemons from lemonade,” rings true, the pandemic accelerated the launch of the Purpose Built CoP and provided a strong foundation for the initiative.    

Naava Frank, with Michelle Mathews, Ashley Bozarth, and Jon Ippel, Executive Director of Amplify GR, and a network leader in the CoP, were honored to present about this important topic at the Collective Impact Action Summit, attended by 100 leaders utilizing the Collective Impact Model.

Here is a link to the video of the presentation, Purpose Built Communities of Practice: Networks in a Time of COVID, Thursday April 29, 2021 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM. Below is a session description and copy of the slide deck. Also, participants asked to see the evaluation research results implemented by Naava Frank and Purpose Built, which can be downloaded below. 

Session Description: 

Purpose Built Communities of Practice: Networks in a Time of COVID

Making lemonade from lemons: What are the opportunities and barriers to moving from a centralized hub and spokes consulting model to a networked learning model of service delivery and capacity building? How did the onset of COVID-19 and outcry for racial justice underscore and accelerate the need for a strong Community of Practice within the Purpose Built Network? Throughout 2020, executive directors and staff of nonprofit, neighborhood-based organizations have faced challenges navigating uncharted territory. Purpose Built supports peer-to-peer learning so that Network Members learn from each other how to better support their respective communities, communities more likely to be experiencing trauma from the recent crises. Hear from PB senior leader, network member, and external consultant about how the team seized the moment to focus on relationship building and shared learning to drive strategic impact in local neighborhoods.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the tools and structures necessary to launch and sustain a Community of Practice (CoP)
  2. Learn about specific examples of how the CoP provides network-level, neighborhood-level, and individual-level impact, and what surprised us along the way
  3. Experience community building tools in the context of a Community of Practice

Presenters

Materials To Download

Collective Impact Action Summit Slides – Purpose Built Community of Practice, Networks in a Time of COVIDDownload
Purpose Built CoP Evaluation Survey ResultsDownload