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is a community
of professionals with a shared practice who learn
from each other by sharing information and expertise
on an ongoing basis in order to improve that practice.
CoP are a rapidly growing and cost effective strategy
for creating systematic change - within organizations
and across a field - through professional development
and knowledge development and management. CoP incorporate
a variety of tools and formats for learning, including
meetings, teleconferences, presentations, emails,
listserv, one-on-one "backchannel" conversations,
surveys and more. CoP allow for open channels of communication
across organizations, staff positions, divisions,
and geographical regions.
Communities of practice help members
to overcome knowledge sharing barriers by building
an environment of trust and mutual respect. When these
elements are present, members are more likely to be
open, take risks and be transparent, which, in turn,
results in greater and deeper learning. A community
facilitator works with members to define shared goals
and guidelines for the community in order to create
a network of support and encouragement for ongoing
professional development and innovation.
- Solve day to day problems and gain
access to useful documents and tools
- Acquire insight and knowledge from
colleagues and thought leaders
- Strengthen professional networks
and relationships
- Gain emotional support
- Increase efficiency - professionals
learn from the mistakes and successes of others
- Gain recognition by peers for good
work
- Participate in enhancing the field
- Ongoing learning / professional
development
- Surfaces and diffuses best practices
- Stimulates innovation
- Increase cost effectiveness - knowledge
is developed and then re-used by many people
- Increased morale
- Effectively builds adaptive capacity
- Cost effective means to reach large
numbers
- Field building and positive externalities
- Long lasting cultural change
- Failure to appreciate the value
of sharing knowledge
- Lack of understanding of how to
effectively share knowledge
- Lack of incentives or rewards (material
or psychic) for knowledge sharing
- People often feel that they are
too busy and don't develop a habit of knowledge
sharing
- Professionals fear to reveal that
they do not know something; they do not want to
take risks or be shown wrong because they would
feel embarrassed.
- Concern that sharing knowledge
will reduce one's own value, prestige or recognition.
Competition -- real or perceived -- for limited
resources decreases motivation and safety for sharing.
- Lack of clarity on issues
of confidentiality can lead to either withholding
information that can be helpful or sharing it inappropriately.
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