The COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 saw many large organizations scrambling to support remote work — particularly with respect to meetings. Although this process was marked by short-term growing pains, organizations that undertook this transformation with earnestness and transparency ultimately reaped the benefits of increased efficiency, better knowledge sharing, and a more robust culture.
A key factor in many of these success stories was the ability to build what’s known as a community of practice (CoP). Communities of practice are formed from people who share a common concern or topic of interest and who meet up regularly with the intention of solving problems, producing new knowledge, and advancing professional capability.
In this article, we’ll examine why CoPs have such a transformative impact, how to cultivate them, and how they can make large-scale changes happen more smoothly.
Why communities of practice are key to an organization’s knowledge management
Knowledge powers much of today’s economy, and organizations need to be able to effectively spread ideas and expertise amongst their teams. That said, many organizations are structured in a way that can inadvertently keep like-minded professionals from fully connecting. It’s necessary to bridge these silos so that people with a shared passion or concern can start talking — AND making a difference.
What’s particularly special about a community of practice is that participation is voluntary; people take part simply because they find it worthwhile. Whether the community is formal or informal, the glue is each participant’s ability to learn from others and advance a shared set of goals. It’s this voluntary, organic nature that makes a CoP so valuable for spreading ideas and know-how throughout an organization.
Benefits of a CoP include, but are not limited to:
- More comprehensive knowledge sharing. The open exchange within a CoP promotes a culture of learning in which best practices are shared and applied.
- A more innovation-friendly environment. Members with diverse perspectives can collaboratively explore new ideas and experiment with different approaches.
- A way to build and keep expertise. CoPs allow businesses to cultivate and retain deep expertise in key areas.
- Better onboarding and integration. CoPs provide a welcoming environment for new employees to quickly get up to speed and integrate into the company culture.
- A cost-effective learning solution. Compared with traditional training programs, CoPs can be a much less costly means of facilitating learning and development.
Fostering a community of practice within a large organization
Communities of practice are not necessarily self-cultivating. In today’s business environment, it’s often necessary to nurture them, even when they arise spontaneously. For organizations lacking familiarity with the concept, there are plenty of consultants who have expertise in supporting CoPs.
Organizations can help CoPs thrive by encouraging people with expertise to participate, as well as by actively supporting the development of facilitation content and the proliferation of learning opportunities. For communities focused on spreading knowledge about technologies that an organization’s employees use on a daily basis, adding peer-led sessions targeting key use cases can significantly encourage community collaboration.
Kalles Group has long-term experience helping large organizations build and nurture communities of practice, particularly in the nonprofit sector. From helping meetings become more integrated to running “Try It” sessions for digital tool familiarization, KG experts have a proven track record of driving engagement and helping organizations navigate change.
How communities of practice soften the blow of organizational change
The remote work transformation brought with it a sudden need for entire organizations to deploy new technologies and learn to use them to maximum effect. With the nature of work itself radically altered, driving engagement and inclusivity was a major concern. Keeping knowledge housed within organizational silos was definitely not the way forward.
Communities of practice help individuals with a common concern share their problems and insights with others across an organization, thereby helping the entire staff feel heard, supported, and taken seriously. What would have been a bumpy ride becomes less jarring, as people know where to go to get answers and to start fixing what’s not working.
Coordinating peer led sessions, answering questions, leading sessions, posting tips, and memorializing questions and answers are key ingredients in creating a culture of support. At a large nonprofit, Kalles Group used all of these and more to guide employees through the transition to remote and then hybrid work via Microsoft Teams. The resulting community of practice connected departments, teams, and individuals looking to learn more about technology, inclusive communication, and meeting facilitation.
Get the full scoop on Kalles Group’s CoP work with the nonprofit.
An organic, people-centered solution that will keep on growing
When given the right support, communities of practice can start to grow on their own, drawing in new members year after year who see the value in regular participation and problem-solving. Resources that a CoP creates and implements will continue to benefit individuals throughout the organization, building confidence and guiding staff through times of change.
The nonprofit that Kalles Group worked with has seen exponential growth in technology adoption and user confidence since implementing the CoP-driven learning initiatives. Users now feel more confident facilitating hybrid meetings and locating necessary resources if they run into problems. These resources serve as a central location for all employees to continuously improve virtual collaboration, and the community grows each quarter with increasing visibility across the organization.