Managing knowledge through Communities of Practice

A Community is defined as a social or other group sharing common characteristics or interests, and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists. In the organizational context, a Community of Practice (CoP) is a group sharing common interests or profession in a particular domain. The community evolves through the sharing of knowledge and experiences, learning from each other, and building tight bonds as a community on account of such shared interests. Of course, some organizations create these communities (as a task force) with a specific objective of gaining knowledge in a specific domain.

The key characteristics of a Community of Practice are:

• The domain in which the CoP situates itself
  
• The members of the community
  
• The practice
  

Domain is defined by who participates and who is a member; participation evolves over time through engagement and is further refined by alignment to a common shared vision. Some communities are self-organizing – it evolves based on the level of engagement and participation, the relationships it develops, and the shared experiences that become part of the way it works over a period of time. In some cases, they work within a framework or structure, and build their network of relationships along the way. A central organizing body usually formed from among the community members itself, defines the broad framework within which they operate, and define the vision for the community.

The practice itself defines what the community does, the value it creates, the actual practice it sustains and develops, and how it grows through the development of these practices. A community distinguishes itself from the larger society within which they operate by the boundaries they create – usually defined by relationships, connections and artefacts that they develop. It therefore stands to reason that for a Community of Practice to be successful, it has to develop around a common agenda, be able to engage and participate through shared experiences, and members need to develop a sense of accountability towards the community. Each community develops its own mechanism and process for knowledge creation and transfer; a community lacking foundational knowledge in its domain is likely to be able to sustain itself, since the concept of shared knowledge or experiences will be minimal or non-existent.

How can organizations empower strong and meaningful communities of practice that will be sustainable and create value?

• A Community of practice is based on shared experiences. This will essentially come from participation of its members. Recognition of member's participation will encourage active involvement which eventually will help build relationships across the community. An active community is able to draw in more members to its fold, enhance the level of participation, capture and build its repository of shared experiences, which eventually becomes the knowledge that the community shares with the rest of the organization.
  
• A community that has greater locality – not necessarily geographically, but in terms of shared interests, is more likely to sustain itself because of the sharper focus of the mutuality of their engagement. The commonality of beliefs and values, and the knowledge thus generated will carry more meaning for the community which set itself on a self-sustaining cycle.
  
• Learning and passing on common memories is essential to the power of practice. Community members become invested in other members through this common learning activity. Some examples of such learning are:
  
  • Codified knowledge in the form of user manuals, processes and written procedures
    
  • Rituals and shared beliefs which may even be part of the culture. For example, Friday 'brown-bag lunches' is a common ritual carried out in some organizations where members of the community get together, away from the work environment, to share their experiences and learn from each other.
    
  • Teaching and structured content which is prepared and delivered to members. In the technology-driven world, webinars are a means of engaging the community through structured presentations.
    
  • Everyday practice by the members – Members of the community develop a strong sense of bonding by actively engaging themselves in the code they have formed within themselves. For example, a CoP that prides itself on developing clear coding standards, diligently applies the learning and rules evolved by the community. This eventually leads to organizational level standards – sometimes extending to an international standard itself.
    
  • Enterprise activity that engages the members on a daily basis – this is usually driven by the enterprise itself to engage the members in an active manner. It could mean creation of surveys, polls, quizzes and other activities that will draw out participation and make the community a vibrant organism that is able to interact and contribute to the larger society in which it exists in a very dynamic environment.
    

  While the core principles that drive a Community of Practice are very much culture oriented, technology can play an important role in making it sustainable and available beyond geographic limitations. Active participation, however, will depend on how dynamic and participatory the individual members are.
  

  
   

  How do Communities of Practice operate in your organization? How effective are they in driving strategy?