Community of Practice Dynamics

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a difficult thing to define. Much like art, a CoP is not easily described, but people seem to know it when they see it. One of the key characteristics of a CoP is that it is composed of members who share a meaningful relationship, and expound their collective knowledge on a topic through the sharing of experiences. As with any relationship, there are dynamics that can be observed such as fluidity, and rate of growth.

Fluidity

The fluidity of a CoP refers to its ability to shift within a community and a CoP. Within a community or group, a CoP can flow like a current in a river or the ocean. As the CoP moves throughout the community, it may gain and/or lose members depending on the size of the community and the direction of the flow. The question arises as to whether the CoP has a similar residual effect on the community as a current does on its path of flow. A current can carve its path and alter the appearance and nature of a landscape. An ocean current can both directly and indirectly affect aquatic life through the movement of temperature and plankton. In the same way, a CoP can affect a community through the residual transfer of knowledge as the CoP flows within the community. Members of the community who are not directly involved in the CoP can observe the results of the CoP and May Be inspired to change as well. An interesting situation can occur when there are multiple CoPs within a community. In water, there are different types of occurrences when different current intersect. The currents may merge to form a stronger current. They may meet head on, resulting in a cancellation effect, or they may pass in opposite directions, causing a whirlpool. Multiple CoPs have a similar effect on a community. If two separate CoPs merge, they could form a larger CoP that is capable of having a stronger effect on the community at large. If two competing CoPs meet directly, they could not only cancel each other’s influence on the community, but also cause a rift in the community that cannot be mended. Finally, the passing of opposite flowing CoPs could cause a whirlpool of knowledge where there is no forward movement. Ideas are in constant movement, but in a circular motion that does not allow expansion. Because of the opposing CoPs, the debated ideas are never shared with the entire community, but rather utilize energy that could have been use for a different purpose.

Within a CoP, there is fluidity as well. Imagine that the sun shining down on the ground is a CoP. Some days, the sun shines without hindrance. Other days, the clouds completely block the sun from reaching the ground. Still other days, the clouds partially block the sun, allowing pockets of sunlight to reach the ground. In a CoP, there are times when the members of a CoP are totally focused on the topic of discussion, like the sun on a clear day. Other times, the members of the CoP discuss other topics not related to the purpose of the CoP, much like when the clouds completely block the sun. Finally, the members of the CoP move in and out of the topics of the CoP in a manner similar to clouds that partially block the sun. Unlike with sunlight, it is very difficult to distinguish this movement within a CoP because it is composed of dynamic relationships rather than something that is visually observable. Of course, the sun and clouds are not static, but rather in constant motion. The same is true for the topics of discussion with a CoP. Based on this concept, some would contend that a CoP is not a definable group of members who are engaged in specific topics, but rather a group of participants who flow in and out of the state of a CoP. Consider a typical conversation within a group. They may discuss the topics of a CoP, at which point they have the characteristics of a CoP. At other times, they may discuss other topics not related to the CoP, making them a group or community. It would appear that strength and/or definability of a CoP is related to the frequency of its conversations on the specific topics.

Rate of Growth

Because a CoP is based upon member relationships, it has an organic rate of growth that can be measured. It is difficult to measure the exact size of a CoP, but measuring the rate of growth over time is possible. One simply needs to evaluate the perceived size at a given point in time, and compare it to the perceived size at another point in time. By using common intervals of time, the rate of change in the growth of a CoP can be measured and plotted on a graph. The exact points on the graph may or may not be totally accurate, but they will indicate a trend in the growth of the CoP.

CoP growth occurs when the number of new members is larger than the number of old members who leave the CoP. As novice members move closer to the center of the CoP, new members must enter the CoP in order for there to be an increasing rate of change. Without the entrance of new members, the size of the CoP will remain the same, or decrease as older members drop out.

Let’s assume that a CoP has a constant rate of new members to replace the novice members moving toward the center. Obviously the CoP is growing, but what is the effect of this growth on the CoP. It would appear that the rate of the novice members moving to the center would impact the size of the CoP, and it ultimately reaching its member capacity. Once a CoP is at capacity, the current CoP can no longer support its membership and splinters into a community of smaller CoPs. The faster novice members move toward the center of the CoP, the greater the rate of change, and the lower the capacity of the CoP. A CoP with a lower rate of movement on the part of the novices to the center will have a larger capacity due to a flatter rate of change.