Western Wins, Rory Rules, Pistons Play On
Handbook of Community Management, Dining While Driving, Marshall Crenshaw, Owen Michaels, Stoic Statue
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. This issue includes what I miss most about our winter stay in California, my third book, the culinary highlights of our trip back home, a power pop singer/songwriter from Berkley Michigan, the most outstanding player at the Frozen Four, and San Antonio statues. I hope you like the picks and pics.
Western Michigan University (WMU) won the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship on Saturday. This is a big deal in Kalamazoo, where my son Roger attended school at Kalamazoo College, across the street from WMU. This week’s Sports Star, Owen Michaels, was named Most Outstanding Player and hails from our town of Northville. Western was one of seven D1 college teams from Michigan that were in the Top 25 polls earlier, and the only one to emerge with a title. Way to go, Broncos!
After trying to achieve the career grand slam for 14 years, Rory McIlroy finally won The Masters on Sunday. It was a thrilling finish, and he was overcome with emotion when he won on the first sudden death playoff hole. I will feature him next week. Cheers to Rory!
For the first time since 2019, the Detroit Pistons are in the NBA Playoffs. Led by their All-NBA candidate Cade Cunningham, they will try to win their first playoff game since 2008. They start a best-of-seven series against the New York Knicks on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Go Pistons!
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Fave Five 132: Western Wins, Rory Rules, Pistons Play On
Third Tome (Handbook of Community Management), Dining While Driving (Andele, Steakhouse, Rice Xpress, Leong’s, Shapiro’s), Someday Someway Singer (Marshall Crenshaw), Hometown Hockey Hero (Owen Michaels) and a Stoic Statue.
Fave Five List: California Dreaming
This is what greeted us upon our return home to Michigan last week:
Here are the five things I will miss the most from our time in California:
Quality time with our family: We got to see Tracy, Matt, Julian, and Noah almost daily. And we met up with Kathy and my brother David multiple times.
Views from high above Santa Barbara: Our rental home was high on the Riviera neighborhood of Santa Barbara. We enjoyed great sunrise, daylight, sunset, and nighttime views from our living room and balcony.
Daily walks along the ocean: The fact that we couldn’t take walks directly from our rental home turned out to be a blessing. Every day we drove down from our lofty perch to take a walk by the ocean. This never got old.
Abundance of nearby restaurants: Santa Barbara has countless dining delights. We barely scratched the surface but were able to enjoy many memorable meals. Unlike last year, we didn’t have a terrific taqueria right next door, but no place is very far away in the Santa Barbara/Montecito/Goleta area.
Venue variety: We saw David perform in LA at Vibrato Grill Jazz and The Baked Potato, caught a show with Caroline Cotter (our November house concert performer) at Ojai Underground Exchange, and saw a multi-act benefit show and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings at the Granada and Jason Isbell at the Arlington.
Book Best Bet
Handbook of Community Management: A Guide to Leading Communities of Practice
I just signed the contract for my seventh book, 12 Steps to KM Success: A Guide to Implementing Knowledge Management, to be published later this year by Lucidea Press. This led me to reflect on my previous books, including this one, my third, published in 2020 by De Gruyter Brill. The role of community managers is now well-established, both within organizations and also in advertising, public relations, and social media agencies serving clients. This book is a thorough guide for people in those roles.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Vision and Benefits for Communities and Knowledge Services
Chapter 2: Ten Principles for Communities
Chapter 3: Creating, Building, and Sustaining Communities
Chapter 4: Types of Communities
Chapter 5: Use Cases for Communities
Chapter 6: The Community Creation Process
Chapter 7: Preventing Redundant Communities
Chapter 8: The Role of the Communities Program Manager
Chapter 9: The Role of the Community Manager
Chapter 10: Community Goals, Measurements, and Incentives
Chapter 11: The 90–9–1 Rule of Thumb for Community Participation
Chapter 12: Culture and Communities
Chapter 13: Tools for Communities
Chapter 14: Examples of Communities
Chapter 15: 20 Pitfalls to Avoid
Appendix: Resources for Learning More About Communities
Dedication
For my dear, late parents.
My mother, Amy Louise Nusbaum Garfield (born June 13, 1922 and died May 5, 2013), was the first woman to serve in the prestigious role of Community Manager while attending Antioch College.
My father, Sol Louis Garfield (born January 8, 1918 and died August 14, 2004), was the co-editor, with Allen E. Bergin, of Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, a landmark textbook in clinical psychology.
Blurbs
“This handbook includes a wealth of knowledge, expertly curated by Stan based on his decades of experience as a knowledge services program leader.” — Rachel Happe, Principal and Co-Founder, The Community Roundtable
“Stan Garfield is one of the most generous and insightful thought leaders in KM. Anything he has to say about communities of practice is worth heeding.” — Carla O’Dell, Chairman, APQC and Co-Author of If Only We Knew What We Know
“The words community and collaboration get bandied around a lot in business but few who use them really know what they mean. Stan does. The ability to work together to solve the world’s pressing problems has never been more important. Learning how to do this well seems like a good idea.” — Euan Semple, Former Director of Knowledge Management Solutions, BBC and Author of Organizations Don’t Tweet, People Do
“Stan Garfield has written a complete and comprehensive book for community management. He offers outstanding proven and practical advice for community leaders and members — and the organizations that sponsor them. He provides both a clear vision and demonstrable benefits for communities at any stage in their lifecycle journey as well as many real-world examples. I love how he explains the differences between communities and teams. This book is a must-read for anyone planning or managing communities of practice! There is just so much wisdom and practical advice in here! Even though I’ve been managing and advising communities for years, it’s really helpful to see tips and advice organized in a practical way in a comprehensive reference manual.” — Susan Hanley, President, LLC and Co-Author of Essential SharePoint
“KM now has a 10-year history of successfully using communities of practice to share knowledge within organizations. Stan has been a leader in that effort and has pulled together what he has learned about every aspect of communities from how to get started to what a leader needs to do. He has brought all that experience together with lots of examples and practical help.” — Nancy Dixon, Principal and Founder, Common Knowledge Associates and Author of Common Knowledge
“Stan Garfield has created a compendium of community tips, tricks, advice, frameworks and pearls of wisdom gathered working with many communities for many years and pulled it all together in his Handbook of Community Management. Open any page and there is something clear, concrete and actionable. Even if you don’t have time to read a whole book, any page will add value to your efforts!” — Nancy White, Founder, Full Circle Associates, Co-Author of Digital Habitats
“Stan Garfield is one of KM’s most experienced and most generous practitioners. He is a gifted encyclopedist of the discipline, and has worked for decades making KM resources and guides freely available to colleagues. He doesn’t just believe in sharing, he also believes in the power of networks, and is always ready to point enquirers to other people’s work. He also happens to be the leader of the most successful and enduring online KM community of practice, SIKM Leaders Community. All of these qualities shine through in this, his latest book: short, concise and accessible chapters, beautifully organized, giving succinct and helpful advice from a lifetime’s experience in an area that is clearly close to his heart: communities of practice.” — Patrick Lambe, Founding Partner, Straits Knowledge and Author of Organising Knowledge
“Communities of practice are one of the fundamental building blocks of Knowledge Management. This handbook gives you everything you need to set up and run large online communities, for the benefit of the business and of the community members themselves.” — Nick Milton, Director and Vice President, Knoco Ltd and Co-Author of The Knowledge Manager’s Handbook
“As a veteran community leader, member, and researcher, I applaud Stan Garfield’s sage advice and rich narratives. Anyone funding, designing or reinvigorating a community can accelerate their impact and de-risk their program through reading this book. This is a wonderful resource, and a gift to community managers.” — Katrina Pugh, President. AlignConsulting and Author of Sharing Hidden Know-How
“Stan Garfield is very well known to the global knowledge community as both a practitioner of knowledge management projects and a theorist and writer on the subject. This is a rare combination, and in his new book he displays both of his perspectives very well, making this book essential for all those interested in this most interesting topic.” — the late Larry Prusak, Former Executive Director, IBM Institute for Knowledge Management and Co-Author of Working Knowledge
“Stan has created and curated a rich resource for community facilitators and knowledge managers at all levels of experience. A deep goldmine of principles, examples, stories and lived experience from knowledge management’s knowledge manager!” — Chris Collison, Owner and Director, Knowledgeable Ltd and Co-Author of The KM Cookbook
“This book from Stan Garfield is an excellent resource, not just for knowledge and community managers, but for professionals in general. I strongly recommend acquiring a copy for your personal library and applying the insights to your professional practice.” — Arthur Shelley, Founder and CEO, Intelligent Answers and Author of KNOWledge SUCCESSion
Reviews
Passion, culture, process: tips and frameworks for harnessing a community of practice by Madanmohan Rao
Handbook of Community Management: Book Review by Moria Levy
Restaurant Recommendations
Dining While Driving
Our drive home from Santa Barbara included overnight stops in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Springfield, Missouri. Other meal stops included Fort Stockton, Texas, Anna, Texas, and Indianapolis. Here are the highlights of those stops.
Andele Restaurant 1950 Calle del Norte, Mesilla NM 88046
Chile Relleno Christmas-style: this was outstanding.
Carne Adovada Burrito Christmas-style
The Steakhouse 1100 W Dickinson Blvd, Fort Stockton, TX 79735
Cinnamon Roll with Pecans: an excellent choice.
Rice Xpress 2609 W. White St., Suite 100, Anna, TX 75409
We were surprised to find this place among all of the usual chains, and it was quite good.
Chicken Pad Thai
Leong’s Asian Diner 1540 West Republic Road, Springfield, MO 65807
This place is known for cashew chicken, which it claims to have invented. We didn’t think very much of it, but the sweet and sour chicken was fine.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Cashew Chicken: The dish that made David Leong famous. Springfield style Cashew Chicken has been a favorite of southwest Missouri for over six decades.
Just as there are BBQ trails in other states, Springfield has a Cashew Chicken Trail:
Shapiro’s Delicatessen Indianapolis
Our last stop for a meal before returning home. As good as usual.
Pastrami Reuben
Rhubarb Pie
Marvelous Musician
A recent article about Marshall’s album, Good Evening, prompted me to feature him this week. And eleven years ago this month, Marshall performed in our living room.
I first read about Marshall in 1991 in a Detroit News article about a promotional CD called A Collection issued to promote Life's Too Short. I bought both CDs and became a fan. I first saw Marshall perform at The Magic Bag in Ferndale. After Jill Jack opened, Marshall sang a few songs but was unable to continue due to a bad cold. He promised to return and make it up to everyone. When that date arrived, I was unaware and would have missed it, but Marshall's flight to Detroit was cancelled due to bad weather. The third time was the charm, and I luckily found out about it at the last minute in time to attend. We saw Marshall at The Ark in Ann Arbor on June 1, 2013 with The Bottle Rockets. Marshall performed in our home on April 26, 2014 when he was in town to be honored at the Detroit Music Awards. I love his power pop songs.
From Wikipedia: Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953 in Detroit) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as "Someday, Someway," a US Top 40 hit in 1982, "Cynical Girl," and "Whenever You're on My Mind." His music has roots in classic soul music and Buddy Holly, to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley. He graduated from Berkley High School in June 1971.His brother, Robert, would join Crenshaw's touring band during the 1980s. Crenshaw performed in the musical Beatlemania before releasing his self-titled album in 1982. Though Crenshaw could not replicate the commercial success of Marshall Crenshaw and follow-up Field Day (1983) with later albums, his work remains critically acclaimed. Crenshaw has also contributed songs to other artists, writing singles for Kirsty MacColl and the Gin Blossoms. A quote from Trouser Press summed up Marshall Crenshaw's early career: "Although he was seen as a latter-day Buddy Holly at the outset, he soon proved too talented and original to be anyone but himself."
The Album That (Almost) Got Away: Rediscovering Marshall Crenshaw’s Good Evening by James Kenney
Good Evening has aged like one of those great albums you somehow missed, tucked away in a dusty corner of a good friend’s record shelf. It’s a low-key, wonderful marvel—half covers, half collabs, all killer. Village Voice reviewer Robert Christgau nailed it back in ’89 when he noted “not since the debut has [Crenshaw] sounded so at ease, so himself.” Listening now, it plays like the great lost Crenshaw record: warm, sharp, effortless, and just a bit heartbroken. Somehow, even in his ambivalence, Crenshaw conjured up an album that hums with clarity, warmth, and bite—a record that was unleashed upon the world as no more than a weary sigh, but lands like a kiss on the cheek. Good Evening doesn’t beg for your attention so much as earn it, song by song.
Someday, Someway
Cynical Girl
Better Back Off
Television Light
You Should’ve Been There
My Playlist
Sports Star
The central character in last week’s feature book, The Last Thing He Told Me, was named Owen Michaels. By coincidence, that is the name of the star of the NCAA Frozen Four held in St. Louis last weekend.
From Wikipedia: Owen Michaels (born May 1, 2002 in Northville, Michigan) is an American college ice hockey forward for Western Michigan of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2025 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament.
Michaels began his college ice hockey career for Western Michigan during the 2023–24 season. During his freshman year, he recorded two goals and five assists in 38 games.
During the 2024–25 season, in his sophomore year, he recorded 18 goals and 18 assists in 42 games. During the national semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament against Denver, he scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime to help Western Michigan advance to their first championship game. During the championship game against Boston University he scored two goals to help Western Michigan win their first national championship in program history. He was subsequently named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and tournament Most Outstanding Player.
His father Dan played college baseball at Western Michigan and won the 1989 MAC championship.
Broncos Claim First National Championship
No one expected Western Michigan to accomplish much this season. The Broncos were outside the top 15 in the NCAA preseason poll and picked to finish sixth in the conference.
However, an early loss at Boston College paved the way for the Brown and Gold to achieve something great. Though the score wasn't in favor of WMU, it led for most of the game. The team learned it could compete with anyone.
The Broncos went on a tear from there, going on to win the NCHC regular season and tournament titles. They lost just one game in regulation during the regular season. Both titles were firsts for the program.
The momentum continued into the NCAA Tournament, where the team earned a No. 1 seed. The Broncos took care of business in the regional, handing Minnesota State and UMass 2-1 losses. Then came another rematch with Denver in the program's first ever Frozen Four.
The Pioneers were the proven commodity. They entered with 10 national championships and were the defending champions. Western Michigan broke the Pioneers' hearts, collecting a 3-2 double overtime victory to advance to the national championship. That set up a date with Boston University.
Like Denver, BU was another proven commodity with multiple national championships in program history. Just as it had all season, Western Michigan played its game and proved to be the best team in the nation. The Broncos secured a 6-2 victory over the Terriers to earn the program's first ever national championship.
Owen Michaels was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Hampton Slukynsky, Joona Vaisanen and Tim Washe were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Michaels had four goals throughout the Frozen Four, while Slukynsky allowed just six goals throughout the whole tournament.
Owen Michaels Scores the Winning Goal in Double Overtime in the Semifinals
Picture Pun
I couldn’t get a good read on it, but I think this is the statue of limitations.
"Whatever way the wind blows" is a hidden gem, in my opinion