Weekly Wonder: Designing Role-Based Tracks - Admin, Power User, and New User Journeys

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Hi CUG Leaders! This week, we’re looking at how to design role-based learning tracks that meet members where they are.

A single CUG agenda can be helpful, but your admins, power users, and new users often arrive with very different goals, questions, and levels of confidence. By shaping intentional journeys for each group, you can make your community feel more relevant, welcoming, and actionable for every participant.

Role-based tracks do not have to mean three separate events every time. They can be themed pathways within a meeting, breakout options during a summit, recurring office hours, curated resource lists, or a simple “choose your path” structure in Confluence. The goal is to help members quickly understand which sessions, resources, and conversations are most useful for them right now.

Below are five practical tips to help you build Admin, Power User, and New User journeys that strengthen engagement across your CUG.

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1. Start by defining the outcomes for each role

Before planning sessions or resources, clarify what each audience should be able to do after participating in their track. Admins may need to improve governance, configuration quality, security practices, automation strategy, or change management. Power users may want to build better workflows, improve reporting, share team-level best practices, or become champions for adoption. New users often need confidence with the basics, a clear understanding of terminology, and a safe place to ask beginner questions.

Writing these outcomes down helps you avoid generic programming. Instead of offering one broad “tips and tricks” session, you can shape content around specific progress points: an admin leaves with a governance checklist, a power user leaves with a reusable dashboard pattern, and a new user leaves knowing where to find help and how to complete their first core tasks.

2. Give each track a clear entry point

Members should be able to quickly identify where they belong. Use plain-language descriptions such as “Start here if you are brand new,” “Join this track if you configure or maintain the tool,” or “Choose this path if teammates come to you for help.” This reduces friction and makes the experience feel intentionally designed rather than overwhelming.

Consider adding a short self-selection guide to your meeting page or Confluence hub. A few prompts can help members choose: Are you responsible for settings and permissions? Do you support a team’s process? Are you still learning the basics? The easier it is to find the right entry point, the more likely members are to engage with confidence.

3. Design differentiated content, not separate silos

Role-based tracks work best when they recognize different needs while still keeping the community connected. Admin sessions might go deeper on governance, integrations, templates, permissions, and scaling practices. Power user sessions can focus on practical examples, workflow improvements, reporting, and peer-led demos. New user sessions should prioritize orientation, foundational workflows, terminology, and low-pressure practice.

At the same time, create moments where the tracks intersect. For example, invite admins to hear what new users find confusing, ask power users to share real workflow examples, or host a combined showcase where each group presents one lesson learned. These shared moments prevent the tracks from becoming isolated and help members understand how their roles support one another.

4. Build progression from beginner confidence to community leadership

A strong journey gives members a path forward. New users should see how they can become more capable over time. Power users should see how their expertise can turn into mentorship, presentation opportunities, or participation in working groups. Admins should see how their technical leadership can translate into better enablement and stronger community governance.

Make progression visible by mapping next steps at the end of each track experience. After a new user session, point members to a beginner resource page or upcoming office hours. After a power user demo, invite participants to submit their own use case. After an admin deep dive, share a governance template or form a small discussion group. Each track should answer, “What should I do next?”

5. Use feedback loops to keep the tracks relevant

Role-based tracks should evolve as your community matures. Ask each audience what topics feel most urgent, what resources are missing, and which sessions helped them take action. Admins may need support during platform changes, power users may want more advanced examples, and new users may need a refreshed onboarding path as tools or processes change.

Capture feedback in a simple, repeatable way after meetings, office hours, or track-based events. Look for patterns by role rather than only reviewing aggregate responses. When you can see what each group values, you can adjust the next agenda, invite the right speakers, and build a more useful resource library over time.

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Designing role-based tracks helps your CUG serve a wider range of members without watering down the experience. Admins get the depth and governance focus they need, power users get practical ways to improve and influence team practices, and new users get a welcoming path into the community.

By defining outcomes, creating clear entry points, differentiating content, showing progression, and listening to feedback by role, you can turn your CUG programming into a set of meaningful journeys. The result is a community where every member can find the right next step—and see how their role contributes to the success of the whole group.

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Public Resources You Can Share with Your Group

• Atlassian University – Free Training & Tutorials 

  • Short, product-focused courses that can serve as inspiration for your series topics or pre-work for attendees.

• Work Life by Atlassian – Teamwork & Collaboration Articles 

  • Practical articles on team rituals, facilitation, and collaboration that can inform how you structure your recurring sessions.

• Atlassian Team Playbook 

  • Ready-to-use plays for running retrospectives, health monitors, and other team activities that make excellent recurring series formats.