Community of Practice

There are many different definitions and descriptions of a community of practice (CoP).  Wheatley and Frieze use the term to describe a step along the way to becoming a system of influence in the two loop model.  The full version of a CoP illustrated here and inspired by Giulia Forsythe, tries to unpack the second loop of the two loop model with a bit more information about how trust and knowledge exchange, as well as, collaborative learning are parts of the journey.

CoP's don't all aspire to become Systems of Influence.  Instead they may focus on being Knowledge Weavers by sharing tacit knowledge or becoming Collaborative Learners who develop shared practices through experimentation. 

Knowledge Weavers prioritize the exchange of tacit knowledge within their community. By cultivating a supportive atmosphere that holds space for diverse perspectives, they enable relationships that allow valuable experiential knowledge to surface and be exchanged. This ongoing interaction enhances collective understanding and grows individual problem-solving capabilities.

Collaborative Learners are interested in harnessing the tacit knowledge and collective understanding of their members to catalyze small scale experiementation and iterative learning. Knowledge Weavers and Collaborative Learners generally hold space for diverse knowledge to generate new and emergent approaches. Recognizing that effective responses to complexity cannot be predefined, Collaborative Learners continuously adapt and refine their strategies based on feedback and new insights.

Systems of Influence aim to extend their influence beyond the immediate CoP by advocating and supporting systemic change in response to complex challenges. Wheatly and Frieze suggest that Systems of Influence "can never be predicted".  Instead they tend to appear suddenly with pioneering efforts by courageous communitites becoming the accepted norm. Change accelerates associated with less hesitation to adopt new ways of thinking and doing.