The evolution

Hi there again,

  As I stated yesterday, I am now coming back with more stories and opinions that I want to share with you regarding the ‘Cultivating Communities of Practice‘ book.

  Being a multinational company and trying to maintain your business on the top is really hard nowadays considering the evolution era that we are going through.

  What I want to bring into discussion today is a very simple, yet relevant story of one of the greatest IT companies: Hewlett –Packard (HP). The reason I was intrigued by this ‘backstage’ story is that the employees knew how to understand the background processes and how to share their experiences stories, forming a knowledge base so strong, that the work immediately became more effective. But, it’s worth reminding that the communities of practice vary widely in both name and style in different organizations.

  What we are about to learn today, not only relies on the above HP example, but also on day by day examples of communities of practice. We can now conclude that a community of practice is considered to be a unique combination of the domain of knowledge (the knowledge base), a community of people (social fabric of learning) and the shared practice that they are developing (the ideas, tools, information, styles, stories, etc). 

  These being said, I was only thinking of the benefits of such communities. Can you imagine how the entire society has evolved from the beginning of times with this simple gift of communication? I mean, it’s the easiest way to open up your mind, to discover new things, to make heard through the crowd and maybe persuading others of you ideas, which, at some point, may be revolutionary. In my opinion this idea of community has only brought benefits to the human race and it’s an uncontestable proof of what we are capable as intellectuals. Also, as a side note, the effect of all this community work is showing up in the group members’ job performance. In this way, people have created a joint strategy for developing new strategies, new technologies, new relationships and so on. It is part of our existence’s evolution.

  Speaking of the homogeneity of such community, it is not always mandatory. Although, a long-term interaction does create a common history and communal identity, it also encourages differentiation among members.  As Harvard Business School Press stated back to 1999, members take on various roles, officially and unofficially. They create their own specialties or styles. They gain a reputation.   They achieve a status and generate their own personal sphere of

influence. In other words, each member develops a unique individual identity in relation to the community. Their interactions over time are a source of both commonality and diversity.  
 Homogeneity of background, skills, or point of view may make it easier to start a community of practice, but it is neither a required condition nor is it a necessary result. In fact, it is not even an indicator that a community will be more tightly bonded or more effective. With enough common ground for ongoing mutual engagement, a good dose of diversity makes for richer learning, more interesting relationships, and increased creativity. I can only agree with the above statements and I can almost confirm that every one of you will do that do.

  I hope that today’s lesson will strengthen even more the ideas presented during these days in terms of community of practice. It would be good for people to realize its importance and how they changed the course of history.

  Until the next time, I will let you investigate this matter further more and hope you will be as intrigued as I am. Good luck with your communities and keep promoting them! :)