NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs What about power? Wouldn’t communities become a threat to the organizational hierarchy? Existing across an organization’s formal structures, communities of practice rarely derive much power directly from positions in formal hierarchies. But communities do not usually seek positional […]
Power in organizations? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs Should communities of practice attempt to assess or measure the value they create? The issue of measurement and assessment is a controversial one when it comes to communities. Some see measurements as community killers and some see them
Assessing value creation? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs What about tasks and expectations for communities of practice? Communities of practice that have high expectations about what they can achieve tend to be energized. And yet misplaced tasks and expectations can also make the community feel like
Task and expectations? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs Should organizations institutionalize communities of practice? Because of this tension between vertical and horizontal processes, integrating communities of practice in an organization is an exercise in paradox. Organizations tend to pay attention to structures or issues by institutionalizing
Institutionalizing communities of practice? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs What should an organization put in place to cultivate communities of practice systematically? If organizations are going to cultivate communities, in their midst or across their boundaries, they have a responsibility to create a context in which these
Organizational context? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs What are three key success factors for communities of practice? Communities of practice are complex social structures, whose voluntary and self-governing nature makes them quite sensitive to subtle dynamics. As a result a host of factors potentially contribute
Key success factors? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs Should participation be voluntary or compulsory? In general, it is much better to let participation be voluntary. This way, communities of practice live on because they create value for members, not because of an edict or a box
Voluntary participation? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs Can a community of practice exist only online? A community of practice is not defined by the medium through which members connect. Mutually relevant challenges of practice are much more important than modes of interaction. The key to
Online communities of practice? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs How big can a community of practice become? Being a community of practice does not depend on size. It depends on identification with the domain and enough mutual engagement to produce learning value. Of course, if a community
Size of communities? Read More »
NOTICE: There is an updated version of all these FAQs on our new website: See new FAQs What level of participation should one expect in a community of practice? Participation in communities of practice is rarely a person’s main activity or job, so expected levels of participation should reflect this reality. Mainly they should reflect
Level of participation? Read More »
