Communities of Practice (or CoP) are one of our Nimble Effects. A CoP is a significant key to success providing for focused learning and participation around a valued skill. With a vibrant community wrapped around any skill you are well equipped to grow that skill and greatly enhance the impact it can have on your business.
A CoP typically has a passionate leader who is very knowledgeable about the topic and is able to lead and influence action. Aside from that a CoP will have a number of active participants and may be open to casual observers who may have an interest in this area but no available capacity to contribute beyond that.
These tend to be formed around a topic and meet on a regular basis. At higher levels of maturity, a CoP will likely have a backlog that they are working from to advance the skill involved. Participants tend to have reserved capacity from other work so that they can not only participate within the community but actually perform community work for the greater good.
Some more details on what is involved in a Community of Practice:
- Approval from leadership to dedicate some capacity to evolve this skill broadly across the organization.
- A passionate and knowledge leader.
- A passionate and interested collection of participants.
- A regular opportunity to meet, organize as well as learn and do.
- A charter can help to define what the community is about and drive collaboration and action.