At their essence, communities of practice are groups of individuals who voluntarily gather to work together with the goal of improving their practice. Unlike other types of groups and meetings, the true CoP has an explicit focus on learning. Unfortunately, the idea of community of practice has become something of a buzzword and is thus subject to misinterpretation and misrepresentation; with the worst of these there is danger of the CoP being perceived not as an energizing source of help and support but as just another work assignment—an outcome that will lead to frustration and failure. This session focuses on research-based conversation with roots in the work of Etienne Wenger.

In this session you will learn:

• Top-down, bottom-up, or bootlegged: Which CoPs are most likely to succeed?
• The four elements of a CoP: learning, meaning, identity, and community
• About the CoP as a vehicle for sharing tacit as well as explicit knowledge
• Strategies for group maintenance and cultivation, not “management”