Community of Practice

Definition: “A group of people who come together to A group of people who come together to learn from each other by sharing knowledge learn from each other by sharing knowledge and experiences about the activities in and experiences about the activities in which they are engaged which they are engaged” (Wenger, 1998)

Methoden

Cultivate Communities of Practice (E. Wenger)

• set strategic context: A strategic context lets communities find a legitimate place in the organization.

• educate: Communities of practice are a familiar experience, but people need to understand how they fit in their work.
  • Conduct workshops to educate management and potential members about the approach
  • Help people appreciate how communities of practice are inherently self-defined and self-managed
  • Establish a language to legitimize communities and establish their place in the organization

• support: Communities of practice can use some light-handedguidance and technology infrastructure.
  • Provide some process support, coaching, and logistic assistance
  • Identify needs and define adequate infrastructure without undue emphasis on fancy technology

• get going: Starting to cultivate communities of practice as early as possible creates early examples that allow people to learn by doing.
  • Have a few pilot communities going as soon as possible
  • Find communities to start with by identifying areas where there is potential and readiness
  • Interview some prospective members to understand issues, start discussing a community, and identify potential leaders
  • Gather a core group to prepare and initiate a launch process
  • Help members organize an initial series of value-adding activities
  • Encourage them to take increasing responsibility for stewarding their knowledge

• encourage: Practitioners usually see the value of working as a community but may feel the organization is not aligned with their understanding.
  • Find sponsors to encourage participation
  • Value the work of communities
  • Publicize successes

• integrate: The formal organization must have processes and structure to include these communities while honoring their root in personal passion and engagement.
  • Integrate communities in the way the organization works
  • Identify and remove obvious barriers
  • Align key structural and cultural elements

Experten

• Etienne Wenger
• Jean Lave
• William Snyder

Veranstaltungen

• Virtual Communities Forum

Literaturhinweise

• APQC: CoP Report
• Etienne Wenger, William Snyder: “Communities of practice: the organizational frontier” Harvard Business Review, (January-February 2000), 139-145.

Weblinks

• Wikipedia (en)
• Etienne Wenger: Cultivating communities of practice - a quick start-up-guide
• Locklee: "Leading Network Development Practices in 2002 - A Literature Review"
• William Snyder (1997). Communities of Practice: Combining Organizational Learning and Strategy Insights to Create a Bridge to the 21st Century. http://www.co-i-l.com/coil/knowledge-garden/cop/cols.shtml
• cpsquare - the cop on cops
• Social Learning Theory
• ABWF (Klaus North et.al.): "QUEM Report Heft 85 - Wissenserzeugung und -austausch in Wissensgemeinschaften - Communities of Practice"
• VDI: Leitfaden für Initiatoren von Kompetenznetzen und Netzwerkmanager
• Klaus North, Kai Romhardt: "Wissensgemeinschaften - Keimzellen lebendigen Wissensmanagements"