Communities of Practice – The Value to Professional and Personal Development
So what happens when individuals with a common interest gather to share, discuss and even question the different ideas, thoughts and viewpoints that arise in the process?
Communities of Practice are an old-time phenomenon in which its members usually take up the roles of both mentors and apprentices. Luckily, history continues witnessing the emergence of such groups in its many forms.
Let us guide you through some of the personal and professional level benefits that we can all obtain from joining a Community of Practice.
Confidence
Shifting our perception of learning as acquiring an academic degree that has prepared us for everything that’s to come, to learning as a lifelong quest for knowledge, certainly changes it all. Memorizing books, case studies, and information given by a teacher are a thing of the past.
Communities of Practice allow us to surround ourselves with living knowledge and to access this knowledge – or provide our own – whenever necessary. This type of backing, in turn, can enhance our self-assurance. Self-assurance is of great aid when facing situations in which problem solving, productivity and innovation are needed.
After all, if two minds are better than one, imagine what more than two minds could achieve?
Holistic Thinking
Interacting with others helps us open up to new ways of perceiving things, but – more importantly – it spurs us into looking at the bigger picture. How often do we stubbornly focus on one aspect of a situation, when there are so many other aspects to consider? There is nothing more restraining than thinking we already know it all.
Thus, a personal or professional problem that we initially thought was an isolated puzzle which we have been asked to figure out, can instead become a component of a more elaborated structure that is full of hints on how to deal with it, after having examined it with someone else.
Holistic thinking can provide us with the ability to foresee opportunities, seek for collaboration and achieve coordination and synergy.
Perseverance
No victorious effort – whether personal or professional – arrives without having to face challenges on the way; and we are more likely to sail through harsh winds when we have a support system assisting us.
Communities of Practice are a type of support system. The regular collaboration between members offers not only a reliable guidance in the sense of person-to-person mentorship, but also in the form of resources and tools that are created over time by each member and by the community as a whole. These are resources that members can consult at any time and also build upon in the future.
Perseverance is inherently connected to project success, and may also be related to the ability to execute a chosen strategy.
Great Minds Think Alike, Though Fools Seldom Differ
Perhaps one of the greatest things about Communities of Practice is that they bring together people who share a passion, and yet have a different take on the passion in question. Consequently, bringing into existence a circle rich in knowledge that surpasses the boundaries of that of its members. A circle that will not be confined to providing us with benefits like confidence, holistic thinking and perseverance, but will offer everything that we are willing to absorb while we belong to it.
Remember to let us know about your relevant opinions, thoughts or ideas in the comment section below!
Sources
Wenger-Trayner, Beverly, and Wenger-Trayner, Etienne. “Introduction to Communities of Practice: A Brief Introduction of the Concept and its Uses.” Wenger-Trayner, http://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/
by: Maria André