All these contribute to talent retention. Communities of practice should be given a creative environment where members can freely exchange ideas, discuss, and gather information. 5. People are often put in situations where they’re empowered, but they don’t know how to move forward. Communities of Practice appear to be an evolution of the team concept (Wenger et al., 2002). One of the ways DFI is supporting this is through establishing Communities of Practice (COPs). And in this digital-savvy world where anyone has an easy access to all kinds of resources, would CoP still work for companies? It also ensures that everyone is up to date with the latest information, techniques and practices that other organisations are doing. It serves many important purposes, from educating to supporting your company’s talent, encouraging their growth, driving performance, and even resolving conflicts. Maternal Neonatal Gynaecology Community of Practice Communities of Practice (COPs) is a term coined by Etienne Wenger and Jean Lave to describe a ‘community that acts as a living curriculum’ for practitioners to learn from one another irrespective of their position within the organisation (Wenger, 2009). Every member of a CoP has some knowledge to share. Communities of Practice – what are they and what are their benefits? CoPs also help establish synergies across various units of your organisation. We also highly recommend for new Scrum masters to set this up in the first six months of stay in a company. Benefits of a community of practice Creating a support network for members. We also highly recommend, for new Scrum masters to set this up in the first six months. Even your employees benefit from communities of practice. Elliott W, Finsel C. Communities of Practice. 700 services 5. Through constant interaction and discussion, your staff is able to focus on the most important issues and initiate ways to resolve them. This paper will provide and overview and insight to the concept of "Communities of Practice" as described by Knowledge Management along, with a practical example of Project Management in use at The Boeing Company.BackgroundCommunities of Practice is a phrase that refers to the ways in which people naturally work together. However CoPs vary considerably in the way they are structured and operate in the sector. Networks are expected to meet at least once a term to facilitate continuous learning and improvement. Ranmuthugala G, Plumb JJ, Cunningham FC, Georgiou A, Westbrook JI, Braithwaite J. CoP makes a great learning avenue for individuals in the same industry, field or practice. According to an article published in the 2006 Cybernetics and Systems: An International Journal, CoP benefits organisations in two ways: In this report, the authors note that CoP activities can be described as a two-stage information process. The article focuses on the benefit and costs of communities of practice. Now, if you have a scrum master, s/he can easily help you with setting up and nurturing your CoPs. Creating a support network for members. Communities of Practice (CoP) is defined as an organized group of professional people who share the same interests in resolving an issue, improving skills, and learning from each other’s experiences. CoPs provide a shared context where members of the organisation can communicate and share information; stimulate learning through peer-to-peer mentoring, coaching, self-reflection, and collaboration; generate new knowledge; and initiate projects that develop tangible results. 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